I can’t believe I missed it. As of January 19th, This year is Edgar Allan Poe’s Bicentennial.
I’m sure you’ve all heard me say it again and again, but I love Poe. He is, by far, my favorite author.
My first exposure to Poe was in 7th grade English, and we read “The Tell-Tale Heart.” I remember thinking it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen. A narrarator who may — or may not be — completely nuts, an old man with a bum eye, and paranoia in the form of an ever-beating heart?
Love it.
I remember being entranced by the shades of grey in his work, the contrast of dark and light. The subtleties of landscape, and its reflection of the characters. My appreciation of Poe grew with every work of his that I read. Favorites of mine include “House of Usher,” and “The Oval Portrait.”
Reading Poe is like watching an old black and white movie, full of the nuances and darkness that scares us or piques our imagination.
But at the heart of it, there is a sort of fragile beauty, a delicateness to the telling that truly sets him apart.
Go celebrate Poe.
http://www.poemuseum.org -and- http://www.poe200th.com
Poe is one of my favorite, too!