Rufus Wilmot Griswold, in his day, was an influential critic, editor, and compiler of literary anthologies. Although his historical importance is rarely questioned, his critical abilities and supposed unbiased judgment are often suspect. While Griswold's own creative potential was average, his forte was his ability to influence the popular canon of his time. This truth aside, throughout his life Griswold wandered from compiling to writing on several occasions. Possibly his most famous, and most convincing, work of "fiction" is the obituary and subsequent memoir of his colleague, Edgar Allan Poe; Griswold is rarely mentioned today if not in reference to Poe's legacy. Otherwise, Griswold's writing was limited to editorials, often unsigned occasional poetry, and two historical works.

Griswold, the twelfth child in a family of fourteen, was born on 13 February 1815 to Rufus and Deborah Wass Griswold in Benson, Vermont. His father, a shoemaker and tanner, was descended from...