Described in Evert A. Duyckinck and George L. Duyckinck's Cyclopedia of American Literature (1855) as "the best newspaper paragraphist of his day," Mordecai M. Noah was also a newspaper editor and owner, a career politician (filling such posts as diplomat, judge, and sheriff), a strident promoter of the restoration of the state of Israel, one of the founding fathers of New York University, an advocate of American drama, and a successful playwright in his own right. In his "Autography" series in The Messenger (circa 1835-1836) Edgar Allan Poe refers to Noah's roles as playwright, essayist, and journalist: "Judge Noah has written several plays which took very well in their time, and also several essays and other works, giving evidence of no ordinary learning and penetration on certain topics. . . . He is better known, however, from the wit and universal bonhomie of his editorial paragraphs." Thomas Jefferson also praised Noah's writing...