Oct 16: Meet Edgar Allen Poe!

On Tuesday October 16 at noon, in anticipation of Halloween, George Bartley, who has worked at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, will portray "America's Shakespeare" at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library, courtesy of the History Alive! program of the West Virginia Humanities Council. Bartley has a degree in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance and has reenacted Poe in theaters, universities, high schools, libraries, and churches.

 

The presentation is free, open to the public, and made possible through the History Alive! program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

The presentation interweaves many of the tragic events of Poe's life with some of his greatest works. Special emphasis is given to Poe's connections to the area of the United States that became West Virginia.

While perhaps best known for his tales of terror and the macabre, Poe also wrote "The Raven"- the most famous poem ever written by an American and "Annabel Lee." Often referred to as "America's Shakespeare," Poe also wrote the first detective story and the first modern science fiction story.

Poe is one of the many available character presentations offered through the West Virginia Humanities Council's History Alive! program as a means of exploring history by interacting with noteworthy historical figures. These programs provide audiences with the opportunity to question those who have shaped our history. Historical characterization is the vehicle for this program. Humanities scholars have carefully researched the writings, speeches, and biographies of the characters they portray and whenever possible, use their original words.

The West Virginia Humanities Council is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational programs in the humanities for all West Virginians. For over thirty years, the Council has been providing educational programs in the humanities across the state. This program is available to interested nonprofit groups such as libraries, museums, and historical societies. For more information call The West Virginia Humanities Council at 304-346-8500 or visit the website: www.wv.humanities.org

Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are served. Please call 304-232-0244 for more information.