Cemetery Tour & Talk in Irvine where legend claims a young Edgar Allan Poe learned his letters by tracing names & symbols on gravestones.
Edgar Allan Poe spent part of his childhood in Scotland, after being orphaned at a young age and taken in by John Allan, an Irvine émigré who later returned with the boy for a formative visit. In Irvine, a long-held story claims that young Edgar learned his letters by tracing names and symbols on gravestones. Morbid? Perhaps. But the lessons seem to have stuck.
Join us for an evening in two parts: a chilly tour of Irvine’s Auld Parish Church Cemetery, then the group will head to The Porthead Tavern (upstairs bar) to warm up with a pint & intimate Poe performance by actor Steven Duffy.
On Thursday, February 26th at 6:30PM, local guide, Billy Kerr and Enrica Jang, Executive Director of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, visiting from Baltimore, Maryland (USA), lead a relaxed twilight walk through Irvine’s historic cemetery. The stones here range from solemn to sly, many marked with moral warnings, stark imagery, and just enough menace to delight a sharp-eyed child with an active imagination. The cemetery is also filled with figures connected, sometimes directly and sometimes by coincidence, to the Allan family and their circle. Bill and Enrica will discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s history with the Allans and where we might see some of the cemetery influence in Poe’s works.
After the walk, we’ll head to the upstairs bar at The Porthead Tavern for a dram and nibbles, topped off with live dramatic reading of Poe stories and letters by actor Steven Duffy. Enrica will share the strange history of Poe’s mysterious death in Baltimore and stay to answer your questions about the master of the macabre.
Hosted in Scotland by Poetic Justice Productions and Poe Baltimore, this evening is part of a wider traveling series of Poe events with The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum as they share plans for the museum’s historic expansion. Guests will hear more at the close of the night about what is stirring next at Poe’s Baltimore home.
NOTE: This is the second of two events in Ayrshire. Enrica Jang and Poetic Justice will also present a free talk on Wednesday at 2:30 PM in the Roberts Room at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, titled Allan vs. Poe.
An evening devoted to the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe with actor Stephen Smith, and Enrica Jang, Director of the Edgar Allan Poe House.
Visiting from Baltimore, MD (USA), Enrica Jang, Director of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, and London-based actor Stephen Smith lead an evening devoted to the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe.
Together, they explore Poe’s restless life, the many theories surrounding his strange and still-debated death, and the enduring pull of his writing. Stephen Smith’s acclaimed One Man Poe performances, which have captivated audiences worldwide including at the Edinburgh Fringe and The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival, anchor the evening with intimate dramatic readings from Poe’s poetry and prose.
Presented as part of a wider traveling series with Poe Baltimore, this London gathering offers a rare opportunity to spend time in conversation with the Director of Poe’s Baltimore home and to hear what is stirring next there, including plans for the museum’s historic expansion.
Tickets are limited. One drink is included. Each guest will also receive a small gift from the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore.
NOTE: The evening event follows a 2:00 PM talk “The Rudge and the Raven: Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe” at the Charles Dickens Museum. That earlier event is free with paid admission to the museum. Details here.
