The triumphant and tragic story of the great poet, short story writer , and master of the macabre. Blessed by a genius that brought him many successes as a writer, including "The Raven" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Poe was plagued by alcoholism, gambling debts, and lost l oves.

Genius and fame could not keep one of the most influential and prolific writers of Victorian England from the deep loneliness and unrelenting ghosts that haunted him until his death. As a young man, Charles Dickens lived the life of one of his characters--a tragic, deprived boyhood. With his father confined to debtors' prison, Charles spent a year as a child laborer. Find out how his early pain fueled the ambition of this prolific social writer of Victorian England.

The irresistible life story of the author who gave the world Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Follows Mark Twain's odyssey from steamboat pilot to miner to failed inventor to acclaimed lecturer.

The poet T. S. Eliot’s unhappiness for much of his life is set against the happiness and mutual love he found with his much younger second wife, Valerie. This documentary special reveals the contrast between a previously unhappy man with his deeply fulfilling love for Valerie Eliot. Many years after his death, and an unexpected result of the marriage, was the creation of one of the most successful musicals of all time–Cats.

Hemingway didn't want his biography published until 100 years after his death. Respectfully defying his wishes, our "Biography" sheds new light on the author's life with rarely seen footage and the insights of those who knew him best. Granddaughter Mariel Hemingway narrates this 2-hour special.

This loving look back at the life and distinguished career of the late TV newsman is illuminated by colleagues Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, and Andy Rooney. Through his "On the Road" series, Charles Kuralt exalted the extraordinary in ordinary people, and is remembered as "a voice of dignity among the chaos.

Anne Rice wrote supernatural novels. Her most famous series was Vampire Chronicles, which included the book Interview with the Vampire.