Edmund Pearson
Encyclopedia
Edmund Lester Pearson was an American
librarian
and author. He was a writer of the "true crime
" literary genre. He is best-known for his account of the notorious Lizzie Borden murder case.
, on February 11, 1880. He graduated from Harvard College
in 1902. His first publication was in a school periodical, The Harvard Advocate
. In 1904, he graduated with a B.L.S. from the New York State Library School at Albany, a forerunner of the Columbia School of Library Service. His thesis was a bibliography of Theodore Roosevelt
.
After graduation he first worked as a librarian at the Washington D.C. Public Library
, where he met his wife, then Miss Mary Jane Sellers. They did not have any children. In 1906 he moved to the Library of Congress
as an assistant in the Copyright Division. In 1908 he became the acting librarian of the Military Information Division of the War Department
. From 1906 to 1920 he wrote a weekly column, The Librarian, for the newspaper, the Boston Evening Transcript
. The column consisted of humorous essays and stories. The stories often featured the fictional Ezra Beesly Free Public Library of the town of Baxter, as well as other fictional persons and places. In a column from 1907, Pearson printed a paragraph supposedly from an old librarian's almanac. Response from colleagues and friends lead him to expand it to a 34 page pamphlet that was published in 1909 as The Old Librarian's Almanack. On the title page the Almanack is described as "a very rare pamphlet first published in New Haven Connecticut in 1773 and now reprinted for the first time." The pamphlet was reviewed seriously by the New York Sun
, the Nation
, the New York Times, and several other publications, before the hoax was generally known. In 1927 the magazine Public Libraries called the hoax "a good piece of foolery, bright, clever, with the verisimilitude of authenticity." Even today, a humorous faux-medieval Curse Against Book Stealers from the pamphlet continues to be portrayed as real.
From 1909 to 1914, Pearson lived in Newburyport and wrote several books. He wrote stories based on his childhood in The Believing Years and The Voyage of the Hoppergrass. He published some of his columns from the Librarian in The Library and the Librarian, The Librarian at Play, and The Secret Book. During this time he also served on the Board of Trustees of the Newburyport Public Library. In 1914, Pearson and his wife moved to New York City and from 1914 to 1927 he worked at the New York Public Library
as the Editor of Publications. Starting in 1914, Pearson wrote a series of columns about books for national periodicals such as The Nation
(column name: Books and Men), The Dial
, the Weekly Review (later called the Independent and Weekly Review) (column names: Books and the News, New Books and Old), and The Outlook (column name: The Book Table). He also wrote book reviews for many publications including The Saturday Review of Literature. He wrote three books about books, Books in Black or Red, Queer Books, and Dime Novels. His work of writing was interrupted briefly during the First World War when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, but did not serve overseas.
In 1924 he published his best-known work, Studies in Murder, with its signature essay on Lizzie Borden of Fall River. In the years to follow, Pearson published other studies on American criminal cases, including Murder at Smutty Nose and Other Murders and Five Murders although these had limited popularity in comparison to his first landmark work on American crime. He maintained an extensive personal correspondence with the Scottish crime writer, William Roughead
, the two writers offering support and encouragement to each other in their chosen field of "matters criminous". In 1934 Pearson went to Hollywood to serve as an uncredited writer for the films The Bride of Frankenstein and Werewolf of London
.
Pearson died on August 8, 1937 at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City
of bronchial pneumonia. He was buried in the family plot in the Oak Hill Cemetery, in the city of his birth, Newburyport.
Norman D. Stevens has been active in keeping alive the writings of Edmond Pearson by collecting a portion of the Librarian column in a book of the same name. Stevens is the director of the Molesworth Institute
which presents the Edmund Lester Pearson Library Humor Award which has rewarded and encouraged a new generation of library humorists.
In 2008, The Library of America selected Pearson’s story “The "Hell Benders" or The Story of a Wayside Tavern” for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American True Crime.
Books edited by Pearson
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and author. He was a writer of the "true crime
True crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
" literary genre. He is best-known for his account of the notorious Lizzie Borden murder case.
Biography
Pearson was born in Newburyport, MassachusettsNewburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
, on February 11, 1880. He graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1902. His first publication was in a school periodical, The Harvard Advocate
The Harvard Advocate
The Harvard Advocate, the literary magazine of Harvard College, is the oldest continuously published college literary magazine in the United States. The magazine was founded by Charles S. Gage and William G. Peckham in 1866 and, except for a hiatus during the last years of World War II, has...
. In 1904, he graduated with a B.L.S. from the New York State Library School at Albany, a forerunner of the Columbia School of Library Service. His thesis was a bibliography of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
After graduation he first worked as a librarian at the Washington D.C. Public Library
District of Columbia Public Library
The District of Columbia Public Library is the public library system for residents of Washington, D.C. The system includes 25 individual libraries including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library .-History:...
, where he met his wife, then Miss Mary Jane Sellers. They did not have any children. In 1906 he moved to the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as an assistant in the Copyright Division. In 1908 he became the acting librarian of the Military Information Division of the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
. From 1906 to 1920 he wrote a weekly column, The Librarian, for the newspaper, the Boston Evening Transcript
Boston Evening Transcript
The Boston Evening Transcript was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941.-Beginnings:...
. The column consisted of humorous essays and stories. The stories often featured the fictional Ezra Beesly Free Public Library of the town of Baxter, as well as other fictional persons and places. In a column from 1907, Pearson printed a paragraph supposedly from an old librarian's almanac. Response from colleagues and friends lead him to expand it to a 34 page pamphlet that was published in 1909 as The Old Librarian's Almanack. On the title page the Almanack is described as "a very rare pamphlet first published in New Haven Connecticut in 1773 and now reprinted for the first time." The pamphlet was reviewed seriously by the New York Sun
New York Sun
The New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
, the Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, the New York Times, and several other publications, before the hoax was generally known. In 1927 the magazine Public Libraries called the hoax "a good piece of foolery, bright, clever, with the verisimilitude of authenticity." Even today, a humorous faux-medieval Curse Against Book Stealers from the pamphlet continues to be portrayed as real.
From 1909 to 1914, Pearson lived in Newburyport and wrote several books. He wrote stories based on his childhood in The Believing Years and The Voyage of the Hoppergrass. He published some of his columns from the Librarian in The Library and the Librarian, The Librarian at Play, and The Secret Book. During this time he also served on the Board of Trustees of the Newburyport Public Library. In 1914, Pearson and his wife moved to New York City and from 1914 to 1927 he worked at the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
as the Editor of Publications. Starting in 1914, Pearson wrote a series of columns about books for national periodicals such as The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
(column name: Books and Men), The Dial
The Dial
The Dial was an American magazine published intermittently from 1840 to 1929. In its first form, from 1840 to 1844, it served as the chief publication of the Transcendentalists. In the 1880s it was revived as a political magazine...
, the Weekly Review (later called the Independent and Weekly Review) (column names: Books and the News, New Books and Old), and The Outlook (column name: The Book Table). He also wrote book reviews for many publications including The Saturday Review of Literature. He wrote three books about books, Books in Black or Red, Queer Books, and Dime Novels. His work of writing was interrupted briefly during the First World War when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, but did not serve overseas.
In 1924 he published his best-known work, Studies in Murder, with its signature essay on Lizzie Borden of Fall River. In the years to follow, Pearson published other studies on American criminal cases, including Murder at Smutty Nose and Other Murders and Five Murders although these had limited popularity in comparison to his first landmark work on American crime. He maintained an extensive personal correspondence with the Scottish crime writer, William Roughead
William Roughead
William Roughead was a well-known Scottish lawyer and amateur criminologist, as well as an editor and essayist on "matters criminous". He was an important early practitioner of the modern "true crime" literary genre.-Career:...
, the two writers offering support and encouragement to each other in their chosen field of "matters criminous". In 1934 Pearson went to Hollywood to serve as an uncredited writer for the films The Bride of Frankenstein and Werewolf of London
Werewolf of London
Werewolf of London is a 1935 Horror/werewolf movie starring Henry Hull and produced by Universal Pictures. Jack Pierce's eerie werewolf make-up was simpler than his version six years later for Lon Chaney, Jr., in The Wolf Man but, according to film historians, remains strikingly effective as worn...
.
Pearson died on August 8, 1937 at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
of bronchial pneumonia. He was buried in the family plot in the Oak Hill Cemetery, in the city of his birth, Newburyport.
Norman D. Stevens has been active in keeping alive the writings of Edmond Pearson by collecting a portion of the Librarian column in a book of the same name. Stevens is the director of the Molesworth Institute
Molesworth Institute
The Molesworth Institute is one of the major sources of library humor, as well as a repository for various kinds of "librariana". It was founded by Francis A. T. Johns and Norman D. Stevens, the Director....
which presents the Edmund Lester Pearson Library Humor Award which has rewarded and encouraged a new generation of library humorists.
In 2008, The Library of America selected Pearson’s story “The "Hell Benders" or The Story of a Wayside Tavern” for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American True Crime.
Publications
Books written by Pearson- The Old Librarian's Almanack (1909)
- The Library and the Librarian (1910)
- The Librarian at Play (1911)
- The Believing Years (1912) (autobiography)
- The Voyage of the Hoppergrass (1913) (autobiography)
- The Secret Book (1914)
- Theodore Roosevelt (1920)
- Books in Black or Red (1923)
- Studies in Murder (1924)
- Murder at Smutty Nose and Other Murders (1926)
- Five Murders, with a final note on the Borden case (1928)
- Queer Books (1928)
- Dime novels; or, Following an old trail in popular literature (1929)
- Instigation of the Devil (1930)
- More Studies in Murder (1936)
- Trial of Lizzie Borden, edited, with a history of the case (1937)
- Masterpieces of murder (1963)
- Murders that Baffled the Experts (1967)
- The Adventure of the Lost Manuscripts & One Other (1974)
- The Librarian: selections from the column of that name (1976)
Books edited by Pearson
- Frankenstein: or the modern Prometheus. by Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Printed with an introduction by Edmund Lester Pearson. New York, Limited Editions Club, 1934.
- The autobiography of a criminal. by Tufts, Henry. Edited by Edmund Lester Pearson. New york, Duffield and Company, 1930.
External links
- Works by Edmund Pearson at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Edmund Lester Pearson's personal library at New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
- About The Old Librarian's Almanack