“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary...” — Edgar Allan Poe

March Newsletter Header

Poe was Irish on his father’s side, his great-grandfather and grandfather having immigrated to Baltimore from County Cavan, Ireland. This month we’re celebrating those Irish roots and poetical tradition with a Pints for Poe: Dead Irish Poets Edition party to kick-off St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Dead Irish poet-ry readings and traditional Irish music are promised, and this event is sponsored by Baltimore’s own RavenBeer.

Poe Programs will continue at Carroll Mansion this season: we’ve partnered with Carroll Museums to open the historic Carroll Mansion & Phoenix Shot Tower for weekend tours from April thru November. Visit The Poe Death Exhibit and new Ghastly Galentine Pop-up Shop at Carroll Mansion starting April 6: each ticket includes the exhibit, a mansion tour and drop-in access to the Shot Tower. More events, parties, readings and chamber concerts TBA.

Springing forward, next month Poe House will open expanded hours once more, Wednesday thru Sunday. We’re also bringing back monthly bus tours of Edgar Allan Poe’s Baltimore. Stops include Poe House, the site of Poe’s Death, and Poe’s grave and monument at Westminster Hall. Add the Death exhibit and mansion/tower tours for only $6.

Read about all of this and more in this month’s newsletter.

Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore

P.S. Our commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore continues. Each month we’re sharing facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. This month we delve deeper into the scholarly effort by May Garrettson Evans to research and save Poe House.

Last month we saw a huge outpouring of support from you, Poe Nation, at a time it was truly needed. This month’s newsletter is a Valentine to all the ticket-donors and supporters who exceeded our goal with $7K raised for Poe House for Poe’s 215th Birthday. It takes more than love to keep our mission going, and these wonderful people contributed.

Very special thanks to Chris Riehl at Baltimore Rent-A-Tour, Academy Buses, and Westminster Hall, as well as the team at the NSA’s National Cryptologic Museum and Poe’s Magic Theatre for rescheduling for next year!

One event that pivoted to virtal rather than reschedule was our awards ceremony to announce the Winners of the Young Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards. Congratulations to Naima Gordon and Renee Yates! See interviews with the winners and all the nominees in Poe House’s mobile app.

Finally, the focus in February is on Valentines, but as we’ve seen, love comes in many forms, including friendship and inspiration. To that end, our Ghastly Galentine’s Pop-up Shopping Event is next week; tickets are moving fast. And call for entries has opened for the 2024 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards, recognizing a new generation of artists and writers inspired by Poe. If you are moved to support your literary love, be our Valentine this and every month.

Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore

P.S. Our commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore continues. Each month we’re sharing facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. This month we explore the spark of idea to create the museum at Amity Street, plus what was happening on the pop culture front in 1949.

Common sentiment to feel a bit beleaguered after the mad season of the holidays and return to work and school. But beleaguered is bread and butter for us, Poe Nation. Plus there’s little time to feel weary as January is jam-packed with events as we close in on celebrations for Edgar Allan Poe’s 215th Birthday!

And finally, we’re very proud to kick off commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore. Each month we’ll share facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. We begin with a list of great events in literary history from 1949, the first year Poe House was opened to the public–read the newsletter here!

Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore

P.S. We’re planning a “Ghastly Galentine” event at Carroll Mansion, February 13. Tickets on sale next Friday!

A WellSPRING at Poe

Wherever you are, Poe Nation, you too are more than likely experiencing some kind of maddening weather. Warmer temperatures in Baltimore = a rising pollen count + an uptick in visitors darkening Poe’s chamber door at Amity Street. The season has officially begun!

Festival weekend dates have been announced and pre-sales for the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards are happening now thru June 30. We are also very pleased to announce our 2023 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards Guest of Honor, Rodney Barnes, and our distinguished panel of Judges from Poe Places and Maryland Arts organizations. In May, look for changing hours (now open Wednesdays in May.) If you plan to stop by, be sure to pick up NEW “Legend of the Poe Toaster” Mystery Mugs in the Poe House gift shop! Read this month’s newsletter for all this and more details.

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.

Click here to read about all of our events–you don’t want to miss out on any(Poe)thing!

https://mailchi.mp/256d70760a3d/poe-baltimore-for-giving-tuesday?e=86e6e73e2d

A wonderful thing happened November 30: The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum welcomed our 13,000th visitor of the year! With one month in 2019 still to go, we look forward to setting a NEW record for visitors to 203 N. Amity Street in a single year. (Even more extraordinary, consider that this number does not even include the thousands who made their way to Poe Fest International this past October.)

Tremendous traffic calls for tremendous support to ensure that this highly popular West Baltimore landmark survives and thrives. Careful historic preservation is ongoing at Poe House. Annual programs preserve Poe’s legacy well beyond the humble 620 square feet where his literary career began. A new decade will bring new challenges but, with your help, we will sustain our “Poe-mentum” as visitor-ship continues to grow.

December marks the return of our Poe-nation Donation Holiday Drive. Please make Poe Baltimore part of your Holiday and end-of-year giving with a paver, purchase or recurring donation before December 31. Stop into the shop (at Poe House or online) to pick up perfect presents for your favorite Poe-head. And don’t miss the final Poe House Presents reading for 2019 with author (and long-serving Poe House volunteer) Mary Tighlman!

Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore

Click to read our latest newsletter!

Our crowd estimate came in at nearly 2000 people who attended the inaugural International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards and made our event a resounding success! We’ve posted photos at PoeBaltimore.org and even more from the Poe Funeral re-enactment and The Black Cat Ball on Facebook, so be sure to take a peek. Also included are pictures from the sold-out Halloween Encore at The Carroll Mansion!

Even more is planned at Poe House as Fall transitions to Winter. Our end-of-year house exhibits will feature Mourning Words, a haunting collection of images from Poe’s grave at Westminster Burial Ground by featured artist, Crystal Micriotti. While you’re here, view the new and updated exhibit cards throughout the museum and pick up the 2019 Poe House calendar and more gifts from Poe House and Poe Fest Int’l in the gift shop! Click here to learn about all the happenings at Poe House!

 

Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore

 

2019 Poe House Calendars are here! Pick them up at Poe House, or shop online.

 

 

Spring News from Poe Baltimore

Of the many wonderful news and events we’ll share with you in our latest dispatch, the very best is that Poe House is open and ready for a new season of visitors! Construction is wrapping up across from 203 N. Amity Street, and the final slurry of activity before our new Center/West neighbors move in is keeping the road a little busy. We’re still here every Thursday thru Sunday from 11AM to 4 PM. Brave the roads, and step through our chamber door.

In this newsletter you’ll find updates about recent preservation work at Poe’s house, the final tally from our wildly successful Pavers for Poe campaign, plus a new date and location for our annual Pints for Poe event, this year at Camden Yards! So much wonderful news to share, and this is still just the start of a brand new season. We hope you’ll join us. Spring has most definitely SPRUNG at Poe House! Want to get automatic newsletter updates about goings on at Poe House?  Sign up right here if you haven’t yet joined.

 Yours in Poe,
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore