Scholar, Athlete, and Artist: Edgar Allan Poe At University of Virginia

By Scott D. Peterson

In 1826, Edgar Allan Poe attended the University of Virginia to receive the liberal education promised to him by his foster father, John Allan. Almost 200 years later, I visited Charlottesville in search of background ambiance for a novel I was writing about Poe's stint as a college student. Although Poe had only turned 17 just three weeks before his arrival, John Allan's influence with the school's administrators cleared the way for his charge's early admission.

Lacking that sort of pull, I was forced to stand outside Poe's room on the West Range and settle for look...