EDGAR ALLAN POE (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short-story writer, editor and literary critic and is best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre.  Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.  He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.  Poe switched his focus from poetry to prose and spent several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism. His work forced him to move between several cities, including New York City. In Baltimore in 1835, he married his 13-year-old cousin. In January 1845, Poe published his poem “The Raven” to instant success. His wife died of tuberculosis two years later. On October 7, 1849, at age 40, Poe died in Baltimore; the cause of his death is unknown and has been attributed to alcohol, brain congestion, cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, suicide, and tuberculosis. Poe and his works influenced literature in the United States and around the world. His work appears throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, and television. A number of his homes are dedicated museums today.