Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe

I love Edgar Allan Poe. This should be no surprise to you who read this if you look at the rest of my Favorites. (Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton, E.L. Doctorow who was named for Poe - Edgar...) The list goes on and on. To this day, The Cask of Amontillado remains my favorite piece. That final pleading of Fortunato as he awakens to the desperation of his situation. Montressor calmly and quietly, bricking him in, one at a time.

And while Pope gets a lot of flack for his lifestyle - drunk, possible druggie, marrying his teenage cousin - there is something to say for his work, for his ability to chill us to the bone. There is tragedy there.

Today is his Birthday. Born in 1809, died in 1849, Eddie would have been 202 years old today.

And every year since the 1940s, Poe has gotten a birthday gift. Perhaps your Middle School Engish teacher told you about it? That's where I heard it from, Mr. DeLeo (Long Live Susqua House!) The tradition first gained attention and publication in 1949.

Here's the legend. Every year on Poe's birthday an anonymous man who later became known as the Poe Toaster, shows up at his grave in Baltimore, dressed all in black with a white scarf and a wide brimmed hat, and leaves four roses and half a bottle of cognac. People come every year to try to catch a glimpse of him.

But this year he didn't show.

In 1993, the toaster beganleaving notes. One of them said, that the "torch would be passed."

In 1998 another note arrived, indicating that the original toaster had passed away and bequeathed the tradition to his sons.

But the sons have not been as committed to the tradition as their father. Notes kept coming on the birthday, one blaming the Superbowl for getting in the way. Another that the French's objection to U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Last year, the toaster didn't come. He was a no show this year too.

While the orignal Toaster may be gone, and those who were committed with keeping up the tradition have fallen short, there is no dearth when it comes to fans who pay tribute in their own way.

Poe is dead and gone certainly but he continues to tap into our psyches and dreams. As evidenced by the film in the works called The Raven, starring John Cusack as Poe. (check out www.boingboing.net to see pics!)

Happy Birthday, Poe.

Never gone, never forgotten.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110119/ap_on_en_ot/us_poe_mystery_visitor_7 - Toaster story source.


http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/19/john-cusack-as-edgar-1.html - The Raven stills.