“From childhood's hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken. My heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone.” — Edgar Allan Poe
Spring is the maddest season as it’s the official beginning of planning for Poe Fest International: date has been set for the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards and “Death Weekend” is slated for October 8th & 9th, 2022. We begin to assemble our hale and light-hearted friends with the return of PAVERS FOR POE FEST Tour Ticket pre-sales! Poe Fest International is a FREE community festival, but additional tours and ticketed events abound. Support the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum with an engraved paver in Poe Park, get first access to the official festival t-shirt and Bus Tours of Poe’s Baltimore! As ever, proceeds benefit The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore.
Check out the new addition to this year’s festival poster as our program and festival events are inspired by the Virginia Poe Bicentennial, a most poetical year of events and exhibits to commemorate the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe’s wife and muse.
But why wait to commemorate? Join us this month, April 19 at 7PM, at Westminster Hall & Burying Ground for POETESS. The Virginia Poe Bicentennial Discussion Series welcomes female-identifying poets from Baltimore & Richmond for a special National Poetry Month reading of Poe works and original poetry, plus presentations from the Poe Studies Association and The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. Read more about this and other Poe House events in the Poe Baltimore House Newsletter.
The 2021 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival was a smashing success–and we mean it literally: this year’s crowd estimate of over two thousand people exceeded even pre-pandemic numbers, and this doesn’t include the thousands of viewers who tuned in to our virtual program on Facebook and YouTube Live from all over the Poe world. In a year of continuing uncertainty and trepidation, we were thrilled to see the return of so many. Winners of the 2021 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards were announced festival weekend and we look forward to sharing more of their work with you in the coming year.
A very big thank you to all attendees, viewers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers and staff for continuing our mission and helping us to commemorate the anniversary of Poe’s death in Baltimore. Poe Fest International will return in 2022!
The revelries haven’t ended. Three nominees for the first Young SVAs have been notified and the winner will be announced together with a streamed encore presentation of the Best of Poe Fest International on Facebook & YoutTube Live October 30. And our Poe Death Exhibit is going on tour! See the installation at the Laurel Museum Halloween weekend and through next month. Read the latest newsletter about these and other events here. An (un)happy Poe-tober to all!
Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang Director, Poe Baltimore
The 2020 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards is streaming LIVE the weekend of October 3 & 4th, commemorating the 171st anniversary of Poe’s Death in Baltimore. Watch for FREE on Facebook & YouTube Live.
Streaming program for Saturday & Sunday has posted! A coffin-building workshop. A POE-vid mask tutorial. A Tell-Tale Heart Interactive mock trial. Art demos, theatrical performances, secret codes, even a special Sunday Brunch with Edgar Allan Poe’s mother (the woman is dead, but that shouldn’t spoil brunch.) See our list of events right here. More details added as we get closer to DEATH WEEKEND.
Add-on experiences also available, including the Poe in Film & Fashion Virtual Exhibit, NEW this year in addition to Virtual Tours of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, and the Death Weekend Poe Places Virtual Tour of Poe’s Baltimore.
We close the decade with news of a thrilling and prestigious honor celebrating Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy in Baltimore. Upon nomination from partner organizations Citizens for Maryland Libraries, Maryland Humanities, and Maryland Library Association, The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum has been accepted into the United for Libraries national registry of Literary Landmarks (TM). Poe House will be the very first Literary Landmark in the State of Maryland. A dedication ceremony will take place at Poe House, 203 N. Amity Street, in Baltimore, on Sunday, January 19th, 2020… coinciding, of course, with the celebration of Poe’s 211th birthday!
The news is a capstone for what has been another record year for Poe Baltimore: our chamber door closed behind the last visitors of 2019 and official tally of museum visitors and festival attendees came in just under 16,000 people. Download our End-of-Year Review to see highlights from this special year.
Our success depends entirely upon the kindness of Poe devotees, the City of Baltimore, our fellow organizations and Urban Rangers, generous Board Members, house and festival volunteers, sponsors, and patrons around the world. Celebrate with us and consider Poe House for part of your end-of-year giving. Poe Baltimore is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and with your support we fulfill our mission to keep Poe House open and to celebrate Poe’s legacy in Baltimore and beyond.
Thank you, everyone, and we’ll see you at Poe House in 2020!
Thank you to all our supporters and attendees, as well as volunteers and staff, for making The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards a tremendous sophomore year success! Photos have posted (see a sampling of favorites here) and then read our newsletter to see the names of our 2019 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards Winners.
November has been no less hectic as Poe Baltimore prepares for our end-of-year funding campaign. We need your support if you wish to continue to see Poe House programming and city-wide events, so please consider Poe Baltimore as the year draws down. We also resume our Poe House Presents Maryland author series and ready for an exciting and mysterious new development we won’t unveil just yet… Despair not, as it wouldn’t be Poe House if there wasn’t some sort of mystery at work. Get ready for some fun!
Yours in Poe, Enrica Jang Director, Poe Baltimore
August began with the (un)happy announcement of 18 nominees for the 2019 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards, a new honor recognizing the best artists and writers creating Poe-inspired works from around the world. Composers, video game designers, writers, filmmakers, painters and poets all made the list. Attendees at this year’s International Edgar Allan Poe Festival will get to meet the nominees, and the winners will be revealed at the Black Cat Ball at Westminster Hall October 5th! Congratulations and good luck to all our nominees!
There’s still plenty to do and share this month: our Poe House Presents Maryland author series welcomes the President of the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, David F. Gaylin, for a special reading this coming Sunday, Aug 11. And visitors may also join us Saturday, Aug 31, at “Will You Say That I Am Mad?”, presented at Poe’s Magic Theater in The Lord Baltimore Hotel. Read our latest newsletter for details; you don’t want to miss anything!
Yours in Poe, Enrica Jang Director, Poe Baltimore
Very special thanks to the generous donors, vendors and great friends who made our PINTS FOR POE a success this past Saturday. Couldn’t be there? Take a scroll through our gallery! (Photos courtesy of the Baltimore Camera Club and Poe Baltimore.)
Were you there? Tag us in some of your pics! #PoeBaltimore #PintsforPoe
See what I did there? Spring is truly well for visitors this month: we recently unveiled a new Poe House history kiosk as part of our permanent exhibit. In April we welcomed a new Maryland author in our Poe House Presents series. Now that dates for Pints for Poe, and the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards have been set, more details about both are rolling out. Finally, The Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards recently revealed the panel of judges who will select winners at the 2019 ceremony. We are pleased to welcome speaker and guest-of-honor, author Louis Bayard, who will present award medals to recipients at this year’s Black Cat Ball at Westminster Hall. (Pssst! Artists, writers, filmmakers and other creators still have thru May 30 to enter.)
Colder months usually make for quiet days at Poe House… but not this season! We have been pleased to welcome a steady stream of visitors this past month. Plus, now that construction across the street is drawing to a close and the new ‘Poe House Presents’ Author Series and other upcoming events are upon us, we anticipate an even busier Spring.
Entries are still rolling in for The Saturday Visiter Awards, and our panel of esteemed judges are looking forward to some of the best Poe-inspired art from around the world. We are also excited to announce new dates that everyone should be sure to add to their calendars, including Pints for Poe and the 2nd Annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. Consider joining (and supporting) Poe House as we continue to share–and celebrate–Poe’s legacy in Baltimore. Click to read Poe Baltimore’s March newsletter.
Yours in Poe, Enrica Jang Director, Poe Baltimore
A 210th birthday is cause for serious celebration, which is why The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum has a slate of special happenings for January 19th.
The Edgar Allan Poe House will open at 11AM on January 19th, and the first 25 visitors will get a FREE 2019 calendar when they purchase admission (limit 1 per group.)
At 2PM, attendees will share in a special presentation of Poe’s most beloved works performed by actor, Stephen Mead. Mr. Mead will allow the audience to vote for their favorite piece and then perform either “The Raven” or “The Tell Tale Heart”. Donations to Poe House will determine the winning piece! This special performance is free as part of admission to Poe House, but seats are very limited (first come, first served) and attendees must arrive by 1:45 if you wish to vote! Proceeds to benefit Poe Baltimore and The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum.
Finally, January 19th will herald opening of the call for entries for a new honor presented by Poe Baltimore, The Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards. The awards celebrate a NEW GENERATION of artists and writers inspired by Poe! Visit SaturdayVisiterAwards.org for more details. The awards will be presented at this year’s International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards in October!
We hope you’ll join us for Edgar’s special day. See you soon!
A 210th birthday is cause for serious celebration, which is why The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum has a slate of special happenings for January 19th.