Poe

Delivered a well received lecture to an attentive audience last night on Edgar Allan Poe, Eureka, MODERN POE: VOL. I, and poetry. While I positively loathe public speaking, I have a passion for enlightening the masses when it comes to Mr. Poe's legacy. I've always suspected that much of the public has certain ingrained misconceptions about the man's life and history (you mean to say he wasn't a drug-fueled, depraved lunatic?) that are very hard to shake. They are always amazed to learn there was so much more to the man - he was fascinated by science, astronomy, and cosmography; he had a keen sense of humor and appreciated a good hoax; and was a true gentleman with Southern manners and grace, keeping his appearance fastidious - even while his clothes were threadbare and thin.

The most satisfying part of the evening was seeing all the young faces in the crowd. As the event was put on by The Friends of the Public Library, I expected the audience to be skewed slightly older, so I was delighted to see one of our local English teachers who had enticed her 8th Grade class with extra credit for attending and taking notes. As gratifying as it is to set the record straight with people who think they know Poe, it's even more rewarding to give accurate facts and information on the great poet to a generation that knows little about him. Read more here:

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