One of America's most famous and most well loved authors is finally getting a proper funeral. Edgar Allan Poe died 160 years ago this Sunday after being found in the streets of Baltimore bedraggled, broke and raving mad. At the time of his death his cousin, Nielson Poe, neglected to tell anyone of the writer's passing and as a result Edgar Allan Poe's funeral was attended by only 10 people and the memorial service was said to have lasted only three minutes. On Sunday, October 11 2009 this injustice will be righted when a full funeral ceremony will commence starting with a wake at the writer's home (now a museum dedicated to him), an all night vigil at the burial site culminating with the carrying of a recreation of Poe's body in horse drawn carriage from his former home in Baltimore to the Westminster Burying Ground where over 700 fans and admirers are expected to be in attendance. Rest in peace Mr. Poe.
A three minute service. That's incredible. I would give anything for a transcript. RIP fa sho.
ReplyDeleteI want a redux of my funeral 160 years after my death, even if my initial funeral is as Holy a ceremony as the resurrection of Christ. I am just that kind of guy.
ReplyDeletePoe was an American OG and should be held in reverence no matter what the occasion. His work has suffered from misrepresentation and overplay but the good stuff, and the distinct innovations he helped pioneer, still puts him head and shoulders above most writers of the 19th and 20th centuries. I will often times read "The Black Cat" on a late, moonless evening. Shit has aged like a prime cask of amontillado!