Lizzie DotenElizabeth "Lizzie" Doten was an American poet, spiritualist lecturer, trance speaker, and writer who gained notoriety for her alleged capacity to channel poetry from Edgar Allan Poe following his death. She was a poet, fiction writer, and essayist wh also published Lily of the Valley, an annual spiritualist periodical. Between 1864 and 1880, she lectured extensively. Elizabeth Doten was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as the seventh of nine children. Her parents were both Mayflower descendants: Samuel's ancestor was Edward Doty, while Rebecca was derived from William Bradford, the Pilgrim governor of Plymouth Colony. Doten defended Spiritualism by sharply criticizing traditional Christianity and institutionalized religion as she grew older. She did not offer individual sessions as a medium, but she pushed for mediums' rights. At the same time, she denounced their organization, the American Association of Spiritualists, on feminist and antiauthoritarian principles, despite occasionally attending their congresses. In her actions, she believed it was critical to uphold her ideals. Read More Read Less