There’s a letter from Edgar Allan Poe, now in the collection of the University of Virginia, which contains an evasive little apology. The 1842 letter is to J and HG Langley, publishers of the Democratic Review, for whom he’d written before.

Poe, a Baltimore resident, had apparently done the writerly thing of Going To New York To Meet People in Publishing, and also met up with his lawyer/poet friend Wallace, as you will see.

Here’s the letter, transcribed by Sumac after peering at photos on the Internet:

Gentlemen,

Enclosed I have the honor to send you an article which I should be pleased if you would accept for the “Democratic Review”. I am desperately pushed for money; and, in the event of Mr O’Sullivan’s liking the “Landscape-Garden”, I would take it as an especial favor if you would mail me the amount due for it, so as to reach me here by the 21st, in which day I shall need it. Can you possibly oblige me in this? If you accept the paper I presume you will allow me your usual term, whatever that is for similar contributions – but I set no price – leaving all to your own liberality….

 

Will you be so kind enough to put the best possible interpretation upon my behavior while in N. York? You must have conceived a queer idea of me — but the simple truth is that Wallace would insist upon the juleps, and I knew not what I was either doing or saying. The Review of Dawes which I offered you was [deficient?] in a 1/2 page of commencement, which I had written to supersede the old beginning, which gave the article the character of a general and introspective view. No wonder you did not take it – I should have been very much mortified if you [had?]. I hope to see you at some future time, under better auspices.

In the meantime I remain

Yours very truly,

E.A. Poe

It’s not clear if leaving off the beginning of the “Review of Dawes” (a poet) was because Poe was drunk, or if he didn’t explain it at the time because he was drunk, or maybe it fell on the floor and bourbon made the ink run, and maybe Poe didn’t just didn’t remember. Maybe it was a simple oversight that could happen to the most sober and meticulous writer. The Democratic Review didn’t take “Landscape-Garden,” but Poe sold it to the Ladies’ Companion.

Not a great apology. He’s honest about his drunkenness, but blames it on Wallace. Poets, right? Nope, SorryWatch knows fine poets who don’t get smashed when they meet with publishers. But whatever the Langleys thought of Poe’s “behavior while in N. York,” that should’ve been irrelevant to whether they wanted to run “Landscape-Garden.” It’s not like he worked in their office….

The Raving

Once upon a pubcrawl cheery, as I networked, kinda bleary,

Over many a minty julep Wallace made the barkeep pour –

As I pitched, me so needy, wanting payment dreadful speedy,

I saw wealthy eyebrows raising, raising as I drank one more.

“Just – I need the bucks,” I muttered, sucking daring from one more,

“Only that, and nothing more.”

 

Langley told me, “Listen, Eddie – my, this bourbon’s rather heady –

“Your writing is so dark – so edgy! – that we always ask for more

“We’ll look at your m.s., baby, if it’s good we’ll run it maybe —

“You might want to cut back drinking, stinking writers are a bore –

“A Review of Dawes?” he murmured, blinking as I downed one more –

“Could be fun, if nothing more.

 

“Hear me out, Al, Eddie, honey, yes I know you need the money,

“Write us some poems! Put a bird in! Say, bourbon costs less at the store –

“If you don’t slow down, you’ll be sorry – here, eat some calamari –

“Verse with dead girls, verse with birds, words to chill us to the core,

“Publish that we would,” he gabbled, “Love your work, I underscore!

“But a staff job? Nevermore!”