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Exhibit marks 200th anniversary of Poe's birth
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP): Edgar Allan Poe's enduring literary works, brief life and mysterious death will be marked by an exhibit at two universities in honor of the 200th anniversary of the writer's birth.
"From Out That Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Edgar Allan Poe,'' opening March 7 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville then moving to the University of Texas, will feature manuscripts of "The Raven'' and other works, books, letters and his writing desk.
It will also explore Poe's romantic relationships, the decline and resurrection of his literary reputation, and his influence on the genre of mystery literature.
Visitors can take guided tours and hear gallery talks about the 19th-century author, too.
Poe is regarded as a true master of American literature, and "one of the people who changed American literature from being provincial, small-minded, nationalistic literature to something that had standards,'' said Ray Nelson, a University of Virginia professor of American literary history and American poetry.
His macabre writings introduced the idea that literature should "expand or drive the mind beyond its limitations,'' Nelson said.
Poe was born Jan. 19, 1809, in Boston to actors Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe.
After his mother's death in 1811, he was sent to live with prosperous Richmond tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife.
After attending private schools, Poe enrolled at Virginia in 1826. He was a good student but was forced to drop out after less than a year in part because Allan declined to help cover his gambling debts.
Allan ultimately disowned Poe, and money troubles haunted the writer for the rest of his life.
Poe is credited with writing the first modern detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue,'' which appeared in 1841 in Graham's Magazine, where Poe worked an editor.
"'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' pits a brilliant mind against a criminal, animalistic act,'' Nelson said. "It's the model for all the traditional mystery stories, including Sherlock Holmes and the whole British school.''
The writer's other works include "The Black Cat,'' "The Tell-Tale Heart'' and "The Pit and the Pendulum,'' which have frightened generations of readers.
Poe is considered the first notable American to try to make a living solely by writing, working at newspapers and magazines in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Richmond and Baltimore. Impoverished, he died in Baltimore under mysterious circumstances on Oct. 7, 1849. He was 40.
Depression, difficulties with drinking, and the loss of key figures in his life - including his mother's fatal illness, a broken engagement and his young wife's death _ certainly are reflected in his dark works.
"From Out That Shadow'' is a collective effort by the University of Virginia, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, the Free Library of Philadelphia and other libraries and museums. The exhibit will run at Virginia's Harrison Institute March 7-Aug. 1, and at the Harry Ransom Center Sept. 8-Jan. 4, 2010.
aku dah baca murder in the rue morgue.. yg tu second work of poe yg aku baca dan feveret... yg first aku baca masa high school the pit and the pendulum... mmg seram weyyyy tapi besh!!! :victory: lagi satu aku suka the black cat ... ; pada aku poe ni salah sorang best amerikana's writers!!!
edgar allan poe |
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Post time 17-1-2009 05:05 PM
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