One of the most interesting people I can think of is Edgar Allan Poe. I don't know if it is his life or his writing that intrigues me the most but intrigued I am. If I had my own Tardis I would step back in time to when Poe lived, that would be after I got past the dilemma of figuring out which Doctor I'd love to travel the most with.
In celebration of Edgar Allan Poe's 200th birthday I'm dedicating my WritelyApplied blog to all things Poe. I'll be searching far and wide for the inspired and inspiring and I'd love it if any Gather Poe fans out there were to share their favorite Poe story, poem, or even Poe cinema classic (ahh, visions of Vincent Price and Peter Lorre...and Jack Nicholson, yeah, who would have believed it).
As I write this after the midnight hour and contemplate cracking open a favorite tomb of Poe I'm frozen by the big question, short story or poem?
If you're a Poe fan, how do you decide where to start when you open a book of his complete works? And do you have a favorite you always return to?
Share your thoughts here or there, anytime, even after January 2009 if you'd like since personally I can celebrate Edgar Allan Poe whenever...but especially on a cold, windy near winter's night.
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Comments: 12
Erin, the Raven is most definitely one of his best. There is a version read by Christopher Walken at YouTube that I have to post about soon.
Rebecca, that was probably one of his first stories that my mom introduced me to. Does anybody remember if Peter Lorre was in the Tell Tale Heart? I'm trying to remember if there was a movie or if it was all in my imagination. Like the light Tracy, I can't remember that...maybe I should read the Tell-Tale heart soon.
Thanks for the Argento info Chana. I can only imagine how many are inspired by Poe. It is probably more than people think.
I also have featured this article on edgarallenpoe.gather.com for anyone who wants to join my Poe group. I have an photojournal about my performance of Lenore for the Edgar Allen Poe Society in Philly last year. It was surreal...
The Poe museum in Philly is in his former home. He supposedly wrote Tell Tale Heart and the Black Cat (my fav) there.
Edgar Allen Poe is my favorite author. Every time I admit this to someone, they always reply with a hesitated, "Oh, really?" I think perhaps its because I'm mostly a happy person and being juxtaposed to Poe who is very melancholy, it does seem a bit shocking. His writing however, always touches me. It's so poignant and clever. I love the way the words flow like lyrics while they bite into you with their plots and paranoid characters. He has a way of prying into your mind and chilling you with unfortunate event. It isn't so much the time he takes to describe situations, but rather the dark emotions he uses to analyze them to the deepest depths.
Its a bizarre coincidence that I came across this article because I only just finished Annabel Lee not an hour ago. Its so haunting and sad. There's something about his writing that makes me want to read it out loud repetitively. My favorite of his, however, is the Raven. I even love the Raven episode on the Simpsons. :)