Pbs Learning Media: Fake News and Biography: Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive

Learn about the "fake news" that established long held beliefs about Edgar Allan Poe in this video [2:30] from American Masters, Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive. When Edgar Allan Poe died under mysterious circumstances, his literary rival, Rufus W. Griswold, wrote a high-profile obituary filled with falsehoods that cast him as a lunatic and a madman. Engage students with a background essay, discussion questions, teaching tips, and handout as they explore the mystery behind his death and how fiction can sometimes become accepted as truth.