Nevermore

I've loved and been somewhat fascinated by Edgar Allan Poe ever since I was in 10th grade and we read The Masque of the Red Death in my high school English class.*

This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. He was born in Boston, January 19, 1809. He died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849. That's 160 years ago today, in the city I currently live.

As the bicentennial of Poe's birth, there have been many celebrations and events throughout the year, in various cities. (Since various cities claim stake on being Poe's city -- to name a few, Boston, the place of his birth; Richmond, VA, the place he spent much of his life; Baltimore, the place he died.) No one really knows how he died, just that he was found delirious in the streets and taken to a local hospital where he died. He died very unceremoniously, it wasn't even immediately announced. Ten people attended his funeral.

This week, Baltimore is creating a lot of hoopla around his death. Because they feel Poe was not given a proper funeral at the time of his death, they're doing it right this time around. Downtown there is The Poe House and Museum, where Poe once lived. Tonight at this house they were having a "public viewing of Poe's body" where "Mr. Poe's body will lie in state" and it would be "an open casket viewing."

There was no way I could resist this.

I headed downtown to 203 North Amnity Street, through some obviously sketchy neighborhoods. There on one of the narrow streets (that I actually missed the turn for the first time) is a rather unspectacular house, that I didn't even recognize right away. The Poe House.

And the front door.

Upon entering, the guides spoke to us for a few minutes, explaining a bit about the house, and that this would be a self-guided tour. I took one of their brochures and read the entire thing before proceeding through the rest of the house. It explained a bit about Poe's life. The part I liked the best were the clear statements that the Poe Society would neither confirm nor deny any sort of "haunting" tales about the house, but clearly stated that if you heard something here that couldn't be explained, it was probably just your imagination.

The house is incredibly small. The staircases are incredibly narrow. For example: looking down the staircase we went up to get to the second floor:

On the second floor they had a small room with several sketches, etc. of Poe and those close to him, as well as sketches inspired by his writings.


Across the small hallway from that room was the room set up for the actual viewing 0f Poe's body. It was a replica (obviously), but it was set up in an open casket and dressed appropriately. It was kind of creepy, but not terrible; the guides stationed in that room weren't playing along and acted like it was 2009 and not 1849. But it was still solemn, and in some ways felt like a real, somber viewing. They allowed us to take pictures.

A closer look.

Tonight they are holding a midnight vigil at the nearby Poe Monument. (Sorry, I won't be there.) Sunday they are moving Poe's "body" to a nearby church on a horse-drawn hearse led by a real Pipe and Drum corps. The funeral will then be a real show -- actors acting as Poe's contemporaries will speak, including the first eulogy given by an actor portraying Rufus Griswold, Poe's enemy who published a libelous obituary of him in the New York Tribune, right after his death.

As much as I would love to, I won't be at the funeral, because it seems to be sold out and costs $40 to go to. Sadness.

Anyway, here are some pictures of me, outside the Poe House and then with Poe's "body." (Is that weird?)


The Baltimore Museum of Art has an exhibit opening this month of more works of art (sketches, etc.) inspired by the writings of Poe. It opened this week and I can't wait to go see it!



* I suspect my love of the works of Poe stems from the same place that my love of Hitchcock films does.