1. Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
   And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
   Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
   From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
   For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
   Nameless here for evermore.–Edgar Allan Poe (The Raven)

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2. Edgar Allan Poe never wrote “The Raven,” he merely claimed it in a kind of 19th-century “identity theft.” The poem’s premiere was submitted anonymously to “American Review” under the pseudonym “—- Quarles” by the true author, Mathew Franklin Whittier, younger brother of poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Poe, a critic for the New York “Evening Mirror,” finding the poem in an advance copy of “American Review,” scooped Mathew in his own paper by two days. Mathew had shared a copy of “The Raven” with Poe in early 1842, so Poe had a handwritten copy in his possession. This enabled him to convince his editor that he had permission to scoop “American Review”–but he mysteriously left the “Mirror” shortly afterwards (suggesting that he may have been fired for lying about it). It is the height of absurdity that the editor of a newly-launched monthly literary magazine like the “Review,” would have given a daily newspaper this permission. The real author was not in a position to reveal his identity because of his anti-slavery work and connection with the Underground Railroad, and hence could not publicly defend himself. My paper, “Evidence that Edgar Allan Poe Stole ‘The Raven’ from Mathew Franklin Whittier,” can be read by searching for the paper’s title in Academia.edu.

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   1. We read your website. Fascinating and entertaining read. So…you wrote “A Christmas Carol” too.

      Stephen Sakellarios has studied Eastern mysticism since 1973, and has a master’s degree in Counseling and Human Systems. In 2005, he became aware of a past life in the 19th century as author Mathew Franklin Whittier, and in 2009 he began researching the proposed match. His two e-books, “Mathew Franklin Whittier in his own words,” and a sequel, “Mathew Franklin Whittier in his own world,” describe the research process and the results in rigorous detail.

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      1. Only co-authored, and arguably not the most important co-author. The key to all this is that two talented authors saw fit to remain strictly anonymous, and I like to use the analogy of a rich person leaving Ferrari’s in bad neighborhoods, running with the windows down. (I actually saw a car left running at a gas pump get stolen, once.) So when opportunistic wannabe’s falsely claimed these inspired works, it made them famous. Today, their fame has become historical “fact.” But if you look closely at their qualifications, it’s obvious they couldn’t have been the real authors. I’ve been doing that and honestly reporting my findings, but these historical figures are practically worshiped as icons; moreover, a great many experts (not to mention Hollywood producers, textbook authors, etc.) are heavily invested in these urban legends being true. If anyone dares challenge them, that person gets vilified.

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         1. Fascinating to say the least.

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