Edgar Allan Poe

[rynner2]

The Toaster
This is a long but fascinating article. It begins:

BALTIMORE - The annual winter ritual requires the stealth of a cat burglar, an iron will and the tacit complicity of an entire city.

In the middle of a January night, for the last 53 years, a man cloaked in black has crept into a deserted graveyard in a gritty section of downtown Baltimore and raised a birthday toast to Edgar Allan Poe.


Like a character from one of Poe's dark tales, the man then vanishes, leaving behind a half-empty bottle of cognac, three roses and an occasional note — but not a clue as to who he is.


It's a quiet show of respect, as charming as it is mysterious — which might explain why no one has ever exposed the anonymous visitor. Unlike other traditions, there are no reporters, photographers or TV crews, and no throngs of well-wishers as the man makes his pilgrimage in the wee hours of Jan. 19.

"No one wants to ruin such a beautiful, graceful tradition," says Jeff Jerome, director of the Poe House and Museum. "People realize that it is something unique and special. If we know who the guy is, the mystery is gone — it's ruined."

Every year on Poe's birthday, which begins at midnight Saturday, Jerome and a small group of Poe enthusiasts spend the night tucked away inside nearby Westminster Hall, a former Presbyterian church, rapt with excitement, waiting for the visitor.

This may be familiar to our American friends, but it was new to me.

 

[James_H]

nevermore!

i'll get ym coat-wait that wasn't even a joke

what was it?

 

[Anonymous]

The Sinister Version Of Groundhog Day?

[color=dark-blue]Cask Of Amontillado Night[/color]

 

[Anonymous]

Poe's Grave and Mysterious Visitors

BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- It was nearly "nevermore" for French cognac Monday in an annual tribute at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe.

For 56 years, someone has marked the writer's birthday by slinking into the small cemetery where Poe is buried to place French cognac and three roses on his grave in the middle of the night.

This year, however, the mystery visitor included a note with a possible reference to French opposition to the war in Iraq.

"The sacred memory of Poe and his final resting place is no place for French cognac," the note read. "With great reluctance but for respect for family tradition the cognac is place. The memory of Poe shall live evermore!"

Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, has watched the cemetery every January 19 since 1976. He said he was nervous about making the note public because of its political tone.

"I'm the person that picks the items up," Jerome said. "Is it up to me to interpret these and be the judge of what shouldn't be released or not released? If I do that, then I'm setting myself as a censor."

The black-hooded man appeared just before 3 a.m., walking carefully on the icy cemetery grounds. After placing the roses and a half-filled bottle of cognac on Poe's grave, he slipped into the shadows.

For about a dozen people who waited for the visitor, the anticipation was thrilling.

"It's kind of like Christmas morning," said Bethany Diner of Baltimore. "You know it shows up, but the anticipation and the buildup and how it's going to happen is 10 times more fun."

No one knows the identity of the so-called "Poe Toaster." The visit was first documented in 1949, a century after Poe's death at age 40. For decades, it was the same frail figure.

But in 1993 the original visitor left a cryptic note saying, "The torch will be passed." A later note said the man, who apparently died in 1998, had passed the tradition on to his sons.

It wasn't the first time the note included a topical subject. In 2001, the visitor enraged Baltimore Ravens fans by appearing to back the New York Giants in the upcoming Super Bowl. The Ravens, who take their name from Poe's most famous poem, ended up winning the game.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/01/19/poe.visitor.ap/index.html

I can think of Rudoph Valentino as an example, but are there any other examples of similar mysterious visitations to celebrity graves?

 

[Yithian]

Re: Poe's Grave and Mysterious Visitors

For about a dozen people who waited for the visitor, the anticipation was thrilling... No one knows the identity of the so-called "Poe Toaster."

Great little story. I especially like the fact that, unlike what would happen in many parts, the figure is not immediately cornered by watchers and the media and interrogated as to his purpose. To a greater extent those in the know are happy to leave a mystery as a mystery.

Also the fact that 'the torch has been passed' is lovely.

 

[Anonymous]

yeah DD this is a interesting story.
I think the Poe Toaster has lost touch with the original purpose or the toasting, however, if he must throw in his own opinions with the flowers and cognac. Poe was a literary genius, but he wasn't one to stand on a soap box. This Toaster is now using Poe's grave as a soap box. Edgar would most likely have prefered if the Poe toaster had written him a little poem or short story and placed it on his grave.

I'm off to go stand on Shakespeare's grave and bitch about the economy.

"yes Fortunado, for the love of god"

 

[Anonymous]

isnt Marilyn Monroe's grave kept with floweres on it but someone too?...

 

[Anonymous]

isnt Marilyn Monroe's grave kept with floweres on it but someone too?...

It was 3 or six red roses in the vase at Marilyn's tomb every week. Joe DiMaggio was suspected, but I'm not sure if it was ever confirmed. I read they stopped coming several years ago.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

theHobgoglin:

"Poe was a literary genius, but he wasn't one to stand on a soap box."

Oh dear! Both sides of this curious antithesis seem flawed.

Historically important writer, certainly but one to read every ten years
or so, just to recall how dreadful he is. Poetry, prose, you name it.

It was the soap-box which did for him. Not entirely of his own volition -
it seems he was plied fatally with drink by corrupt electoral agents,
befuddling him for his vote.

These days all they offer is a car-ride to the polling station in these here
parts.

 

[PeniG]

Not being a big Poe fan, I don't have references handy, but it's by no means certain what Poe died of. Alcoholic poisoning is a popular story, but we have no direct evidence of it. He went to Baltimore - it was an election day - he was found incoherent and in distress, was treated at the hospital, and died. No reports of him being seen drinking survive. Other theories have been bruited through the years, the most recent (I believe) being that he caught rabies.

It is sad that the present grave-decorater seems to be doing it for other reasons than fandom these days. He could have just changed the wine if he felt that strongly about it.

It's ironic, because Poe's always had a better rep in France than in America. Which makes me wonder - is he someone who's improved in translation? Any French readers here have an opinion?

 

[Anonymous]

J. Whitehead it seems as though you aren't much of a Poe fan. This is all opinion so that's understandable. He definately was an alcoholic. I bet that is what killed him. He is still personally one of my favorite authors.

What I meant about the "soap box" was that Poe did not insert blatant political messages in his work, and therefore his memory should not be used in a blatantly political fashion.

"Lo, tis a gala night,
among the loathsome latter years.
an orchestra breathes fitfully
the music of the spheres..."

 

[Anonymous]

Not being a big Poe fan, I don't have references handy, but it's by no means certain what Poe died of.

I didn't think it was the drink directly, though it wouldn't have helped his health. Am I way off in thinking that I've read it was TB? Or was that his wife?

 

[Anonymous]

IIRC his wife Virginia Clemm died of TB.

 

[escargot]

Just about everyone related to Poe died of TB- it was endemic.
We often forget how lucky we are, not having to deal with TB any more.

It's on its way back though, with a vengeance. :eek!!!!:

*I have nursed patients with TB within the last year.*

 

[Anonymous]

Poe married Virginia Clemm, his cousin, when she was 13. She seems to have always been sickly and I believe that her mother or an aunt moved in with the married couple to take over household duties as she was far too weak.It's been suggested that the motif throughout his work of love interrupted by death, 'Bernice' for example, sprung from her.

She died at the age of 24.

 

[Anonymous]

Three roses and a bottle of cognac on the grave....

I wasn't sure where to put this.....

Mysterious Fan Visits Edgar Allan Poe's Grave
Updated: Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005 - 6:18 AM

By KASEY JONES
Associated Press Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) - He was dressed for the cold weather rather than tradition. The roses appeared to be of a blended color, rather than the usual red. And some spectators were not as respectful of the annual event.

But on Wednesday, for the 56th time, a man stole into a downtown graveyard early on Edgar Allan Poe's birthday and placed three roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac on the writer's grave.

Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum, who has seen the mysterious visitor every Jan. 19 since 1976, and about 20 people he invited, gathered in the clear, cold night to glimpse the ritual.

"It was absolutely frigid," Jerome said of the sub-20 degree temperature.

The visitor arrived at 1:10 a.m., and was wearing a heavy coat, and obscured his face with what appeared to be a black pullover, he said.

He was not wearing the traditional white scarf and black hat, according to Jerome.

"He put the roses and cognac at the base of Poe's grave and put his hand on top of the (tomb) stone. He paused and put his head down," the museum curator said. About four or five minutes passed between the time the visitor arrived and the time he left.

"He was waiting for an opportunity to leave without being spotted," Jerome said, who waited for hours to see the visitor despite suffering from an upset stomach.

The visitor's three roses are believed to honor Poe, his mother-in-law and his wife all of whom are buried in the graveyard. The significance of the cognac is unknown.

People who stand vigil usually respect the visitor's desire for anonymity, and that, along with the visitor's quick moves and the cover of darkness, have kept his secret since 1949.

But this time, some people hoping to see the ritual "created a nuisance," Jerome said. Some entered the locked cemetery; others confronted Jerome after the stranger had departed, and demanded that he reveal his identity.

Jerome says he does not know who the Poe toaster is.

Poe, who wrote poems and horror stories such as "The Raven" and "The Telltale Heart," died Oct. 7, 1849 in Baltimore at the age of 40 after collapsing in a tavern.

Bethany Dinger, 32, of Baltimore, first became fascinated with the writer while doing volunteer work at the Poe House in high school. Wednesday was her third time watching the ritual.

"It's always amazing - you know it's going to happen and then it's just wow, he's here," she said. "We're just so in the moment - there's no talking" while the visitor pays homage.

But the thrill of the event wasn't the only thing giving Dinger goosebumps. "This was the coldest it's ever been," she said. "I have on tights and jeans and shirts and turtlenecks and gloves and coat and a hat.

"But I'd do it again, even if it were colder."

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Link: http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?sid=393937&nid=25

 

[Heckler]

I recall reading about this last year and the consensus seems to be that the current visitor is the son or nephew of the previous visitor (who presumably got too old to continue visiting). Who it actually is, is still a mystery and I kind of like that....

 

[Anonymous]

Yes the mystery is the fun of it.
It also reminds me that reading about the visit to Poe's grave in 2003 is what brought me stumbling in to the Fort board. I lurked for a while before I joined. That's what happens when you leave the door unsecured. :laughing:

 

[Yithian]

Re: Three roses and a bottle of cognac on the grave....

I wasn't sure where to put this.....

Here perhaps:

[Emp edit: threads merged and link removed]

Or here:
[Emp edit: threads merged and link removed]

"Thread Down! MOD[ic]!"

 

[Anonymous]

:furious: I searched for the old thread and evidently missed it somehow.

I hate it when that happens

Mods are welcome to shuffle or paste at will....

 

[AsamiYamazaki]

Does anyone remember a similar kind of thing with Lawrence of Arabia's grave? There was someone who would mysteriously leave white roses on his grave at Moreton (sp?) in Dorset on the anniversary of his birth or death - August anyhow - with one less for every year that passed.

I tried to look for this on the internet and couldn't find anything but I remember back in the late 80s or early 90s stopping off there and seeing them.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

:furious: I searched for the old thread and evidently missed it somehow.

I hate it when that happens

Mods are welcome to shuffle or paste at will....

No worries all merged.

"Thread Down! MOD[ic]!"

I won't even pretend to know what that means - both threads seem fine and I've merged them all.

 

[Yithian]

"Thread Down! MOD[ic]!"

I won't even pretend to know what that means - both threads seem fine and I've merged them all.

Sorry. Was gibbering, It was along the lines of: "Man Down! Medic!" i.e. a mod is needed here to make all goodness and light. If i was any kind of gentleman i would have posted on the help with re-organisation thread.

 

[rynner2]

Edgar Allan Poe's Tamerlane set to fetch record price in NY auction
A copy of Edgar Allan Poe's first book, so rare that it has been dubbed the "black tulip of American literature", is expected to fetch a record price at auction on Friday.
By Tom Leonard in New York
Published: 11:03PM GMT 03 Dec 2009

The American writer claimed he was not yet 14 when he wrote most of Tamerlane and Other Poems, which was published anonymously in 1827 with authorship attributed simply to "a Bostonian".

No more than 40 or 50 copies were ever printed - of which only 12 are believed to remain in existence.

Christie's, which is auctioning a stained and frayed copy in New York, said the book could set a record price for American literature.

Poe wrote the poems, inspired by the work of Byron, as he tried to launch his literary career after moving from his childhood home in Virginia to Boston, the city of his birth.

He had at the time been trying to distance himself from his foster father, John Allan, in Richmond, Virginia, with whom he had a difficult relationship.

The book was published in complete obscurity, paid for entirely by the author and printed by a man who normally produced flyers and labels.

When he later re-published the poems under his own name, Poe apologised for their quality and said they had never been intended for publication.

A copy of the original book did not surface until more than 25 years after it was published, prompting some poetry experts at the time to claim it had never existed.

"This is known as the black tulip of US literature," said Francis Wahlgren, head of books and manuscripts at Christie's in New York.

The auction house expects to get between $500,000 to $700,000 (£ 302,000 to £442,000).

Mr Wahlgren said the current record price for a work of American literature is $250,000 - set nearly 20 years ago when another copy of Tamerlane went under the hammer.

William Self, a former senior television executive who is selling the latest copy, described it as "kind of a beat-up copy".

Now 88, he said he was selling his rare book collection because he did not want to burden his children with looking after it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/book ... ction.html

 

[FrKadash]

Extraordinary Tales (2015)

Creepy horror animated horror film is based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. While the animation is interesting the real reason to see this film is the killer voice cast which includes Christopher Lee Guillermo Del Toro and Bela Lugosi.

https://unseenfilms.blogspot.ie/2016/12/extraordinary-tales-2015.html

 

[FrKadash]

I just came across this film as well, and don't think I remember it being posted on the forum around the time it came out.

Tales of Poe (2014)

Based on the classic works of Edgar Allan Poe, Tales of Poe is a series of three chilling stories adapted for the screen and based on Poe's Tell-Tale Heart, Cask of Amontillado, and one of his more obscure poems Dreams. Bart Mastronardi wrote and directed his award-winning The Tell Tale Heart starring horror star Debbie Rochon and changes the genders from the original story to female in this macabre story that takes place in a mental asylum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Poe

 

[MrRING]

PBS in the US is going to air a new work on Poe that looks pretty good

Best known for his Gothic horror tales and narrative poem “The Raven,” Poe’s stories are the basis of countless films and TV episodes, and have inspired even more, as has his name and image. Determined to re-invent American literature, Poe was an influential – and brutally honest – literary critic and magazine editor, who also invented the detective protagonist with his character C. Auguste Dupin. Premieres Mon, October 30, 2017 at 9/8c.

 

[Swifty]

Adam The Woo visits Poe's grave and other Baltimore locations ..

 

[Swifty]

Six creepy audio stories by Edgar Allan Poe

 

[Swifty]

The Edgar Allan Poe museum ..