The circumstances surrounding the death of Edgar Allan Poe have remained a mystery since he was found in a disheveled stupor in an East Baltimore tavern on Oct. 3, 1849 and died four days later on Oct. 7. A drug overdose? Encephalitis? Election Day “cooping” victim? And what of the macabre and celebrated writer’s unknown whereabouts on the days preceding his death?

The president of the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, David Gaylin sets out to put these eternal questions to rest in The Final Days of Edgar Allan Poe.

Meticulously researched, Gaylin’s book does more than document Poe’s final days. Separating fact from fiction, Gaylin tackles the various myths and theories that have crept up over the 175 years since Poe’s death while also providing documented, balanced, and detailed evidence of the writer’s painful struggle with alcoholism. The Final Days marks the first comprehensive examination of the causes and conditions of Poe’s tragic death and should be considered a must-read for serious Poe fans and Baltimore history buffs.

Let’s dispel one myth. Poe’s last destination before his death was not The Horse You Came In On, as the beloved Fells Point bar claims.
We know that because it was a grocery store in 1849 and even as late as 1860 is still listed as a confectionery and not a tavern in city records. He’s found at Gunner’s Hall, which sat one block west of where Attman’s Deli is today, on the north side of the street.

And he’s discovered not in a gutter, but slumped over inside Gunner’s Hall, a first-floor hotel bar and, by coincidence, also an Election Day polling place. Thus the “cooping” theory—that he was a victim of alcohol or drugging and forced to vote several times per Mobtown practice.
I don’t completely dismiss the cooping theory. I just don’t think it’s been adequately proven. But cooping wouldn’t be the cause of death, possibly the circumstances surrounding the death. The mystery of Poe’s death is really two mysteries: his whereabouts in the days and hours preceding when he is found at Gunner’s Hall and taken to the hospital and the cause of death.

What was your Poe introduction?
Well, I was born in Maryland General Hospital, which is now part of the University of Maryland Medical Center, and a couple blocks north of where he is buried at Westminster Hall. [More importantly] I was raised by my grandmother, who was a Poe and literary enthusiast. She also ran a bar on Broadway in Fells Point and pointed out the building to me, up Washington Hill, which had been the hospital where he spent his last days and ultimately died. Her favorite poem was “Annabel Lee” and that stuck with me.

Ultimately, the book tells a heartbreaking tale. The evidence from surviving letters depicts a man in the later throes of alcoholism, which by all indications, ran in his family. Your conclusion, based in good part from his attending physician’s letter to his aunt, is that Poe most likely died of delirium tremens, a severe form of alcohol withdrawal. At the same time, he was clearly struggling to deal with the loss of his wife.
Heartbreaking is the right word for it. You think what could have been. I still get kind of emotional when I think about not just the ending of his life, but the last two or three years. Yet, he did write some of his best work after his wife died. “Annabel Lee,” published posthumously, is probably written for her, and you can see in that piece exactly how he felt about her and how he grieved.

Only eight people were present at his burial. But a quarter of a century later, when he was reburied beneath his oft-visited monument, it’s estimated 1,000 people attended. Alfred, Lord Tennyson sent a poem, and an uninvited Walt Whitman crashed the proceedings. If there’s a heroine, it seems to be Western Female High School English teacher Sara Sigourney Rice, of “Pennies for Poe” fundraising fame. She initiates the Poe monument project.
The high school, when she taught, was next to the cemetery and his unmarked grave, where people began going regularly to pay respects. She was exposed to this, and teaching literature and his work, and so you can understand why she got involved. Her “Pennies for Poe” campaign probably contributed only $50 or so for the monument, but it turned out to be good PR.

On a dark and still afternoon in October 1849, five people stood watch as a simple mahogany coffin containing one of the world’s most prolific authors was lowered into an unmarked patch of dirt in the heart of downtown Baltimore.

With clouds hanging low in the autumn sky, the small crowd—a former classmate, schoolmaster, and three relatives—paused for only a few minutes in the freshly turned earth, with the reverend, who was also the deceased’s cousin, electing not to deliver his prepared sermon to so few people.

Without pomp, circumstance, or even a tombstone to mark Edgar Allan Poe’s death, the group quietly dispersed, leaving the 40-year-old poet buried in Lot 27 of the Westminster Burial Ground with his grandparents, older brother, and the mysterious truth of his death.

Poe only lived in Baltimore for a few years, but the city shaped many aspects of his life, as well as its tragic ending. While he was born in Boston in January 1809 and raised by a foster family in Richmond, Virginia, this city is where he found the familial connections that would become the backbone of his life and career.

Between his unsuccessful stints in the Army and at West Point, Poe spent a few months in 1829 sharing a room with his cousin at the Beltzhoover’s Hotel on the corner of Hanover and Baltimore streets. He became a regular at The Assembly Rooms & Library on Holliday and Fayette streets, participated in a verse-writing challenge at the Seven Stars Tavern on Water Street downtown, and published 250 copies of his second book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems.

After he was dismissed from West Point on charges of gross negligence and disobedience in 1831, Poe took refuge in the city, too, moving into his Aunt Maria’s already-crowded household near Fells Point, sharing the small residence with his cousins and grandmother. The following year, when the family moved west to North Amity Street, Poe went with them, settling into their side of the rented duplex that still stands today.

Although the home has been renovated since Poe lived there in the 1830s, the integrity of its five rooms, as well as the original winding staircases, have remained intact. Enrica Jang, director of Poe Baltimore, the organization that maintains The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, says that most of the Poe House’s 13,000 annual visitors are struck by how the family fit so many people in such tight quarters. “The house is so small, and the argument could be made that he didn’t live here for very long,” Jang says. “But if you understand the history of what he created while he lived here, it’s huge.”

“But he found something that, I believe, he really wanted here in Baltimore—and that’s a family.”

After years of limited literary success, Baltimore became the site of a new beginning for Poe—one that shaped his career as a literary critic, editor, and author. Despite his overwhelming debts, he continued to write poems, some of which, including “Enigma [On Shakespeare]” and “Serenade,” were published in the Baltimore Saturday Visiter, and he labored over short stories, with a few published in The Philadelphia Saturday Courier.

He spent four years here working on his fiction and learning to shape his most grotesque ideas into narrative form. But his big break arrived in October 1833, when a few short stories from his collection titled The Tales of the Folio Club won a contest in the Visiter—considered his first true success. “Poe turned to short-story writing while he was here because he realized he could make money at it,” Jang says.

By the time Poe moved to Richmond in 1835 to join the staff of the Southern Literary Messenger, he had written at least 16 stories and a handful of poems. But within a few short months, Poe felt himself drawn back to Baltimore. His grandmother died that summer, leaving him dreadfully depressed, though the true root of his unhappiness was revealed in a letter about his cousin, Virginia. Dated August 29, 1835, Poe professed his love and potential as a future husband.

Today, stored deep in the belly of the Enoch Pratt Central Library, the original “proposal letter,” now nearly two centuries old, is one of the highlights of the institution’s impressive Edgar Allan Poe collection. Special collections manager Michael Johnson can quote a few phrases from the illustrious letter—My love, my own sweetest Sissy, my darling little wifey, think well before you break the heart of your cousin, Eddy. “He wrote stories in Philadelphia, New York, and Richmond, and had jobs all up and down the East Coast,” Johnson says. “But he found something that, I believe, he really wanted here in Baltimore—and that’s a family.”

After quietly marrying Virginia, who was 13 years old, in September 1835, Poe, then 26, only returned to Baltimore a handful of times before that fateful day in October 1849.

While there’s endless speculation surrounding the circumstances of his death, it is known that he had been traveling home from New York in the days before he was found lying semi-conscious outside of “4th Ward Polls,” a tavern at Gunner’s Hall on East Lombard Street. (Although The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Fells Point claims it was the last destination Poe visited, there isn’t any evidence that he actually imbibed there.)

It was assumed Poe was drunk, and so he was put in a carriage and sent to a hospital a few blocks south of where Johns Hopkins Hospital now stands. He was said to look “repulsive,” according to the acquiantance who found him, with messy hair, a dirty face, and “lusterless and vacant” eyes. Poe never regained enough coherence to explain how he had come to the condition in which he was found, and he died four days later.

Poe’s shadowy death can only be described using his own writing, as author Arthur Hobson Quinn wrote in his Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography: “The ‘fever called living was conquered at last,’ and the poet who had seen farthest into the dim region ‘out of space, out of time’ went on his last journey, alone.”

But in a sense, Poe hasn’t been alone since. What started as a slow build of local appreciation for the literary figure—bolstered by Baltimore teacher Sara Sigourney Rice’s efforts to erect a memorial at Poe’s burial place during the 1870s—has grown rapidly as details about his life, work, and death reached all corners of the country.

During the early 1900s, cities where Poe had spent significant time—Richmond, New York, Boston—began to lay claim to their portions of his past. Baltimore was among the first to begin adopting him as one of its own, mounting a statue of the author in the Gordon Plaza of the University of Baltimore in 1921 and creating the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore in 1923.

Jeffrey Savoye, current secretary and treasurer of the local Poe Society, joined the group in 1983, which was a few years after it turned over control of the Poe House to the city, and some 40 years after its members saved the structure from demolition. He started seriously studying Poe in college, and it was then that he began to see the poet as a misunderstood figure who, at one time, had been “abused in the public view” by his critics. “That not only reawakened my interest, but it became a kind of cause for me—I felt as if his reputation needed saving,” says Savoye, who has since published more than 45 Poe-related scholarly articles and established the Baltimore society’s website, a comprehensive reference guide about the author, as well as the largest collection of Poe’s writings in the world. “Poe has a way of reaching out from beyond the grave and inserting himself anywhere in modern times.”

As more people have read Poe’s most famous works, such as “The Raven” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” he has gained a posthumous following of fans who revere him for his revolutionary horror writing. Sometimes called the “grandfather of horror,” Poe was one of the first to write intentionally from the perspective of madness, while also threading complex themes of sorrow, humor, and agony throughout his complicated narratives, which were not completely unlike the trials and tribulations of his own life.

“If all you get from Poe’s work is the horror of it, you’re going to have a good time,” Jang says. “But when you read deeper into it, you see the humanity and much more primal emotions. Underneath the themes of horror and fear, there is clearly love and pain.”

As the decades went on and the fandom continued to grow, Baltimore and its various “Poe sites” became a destination for people looking to draw themselves closer to the author, especially after the city’s obsession went national in March 1996 with the announcement that its new football team would be named after the infamous bird in his most recognizable poem.

Today, people travel from near and far to take tours of the Poe House, look through the Central Library’s artifact collection, and pay their respects at his final resting place. “I’ve had people burst into tears or people’s hands start shaking when they see those pieces,” Johnson says of the library’s sliver of Poe’s original coffin and locks of his and Virginia’s hair. “It’s powerful to them because of how much they love Poe.”

The locations themselves have even become the subjects of local folklore. From around 1949 to 2009, a mysterious person (or persons) wearing all black and a big hat would visit Poe’s grave in the wee hours of his birthday night, drink a glass of cognac, and leave three roses and the rest of the bottle on the memorial. The figure became known as the Poe Toaster, and while no one ever unmasked them, it became a tradition that drew a small group of onlookers every year. The ritual was halted after the author’s 200th birthday, but the Maryland Historical Society and other local organizations picked a new anonymous Poe Toaster to carry the torch starting in 2016.

It has been 170 years since Poe took his final breath here, but he and his work continue to spark creativity and connection in Baltimoreans. Kurt Bragunier, owner of the Poe-themed Annabel Lee Tavern, says he relates to the author’s artistic spirit, and so he adorned the walls of his Canton restaurant with murals and artworks dedicated to Poe’s likeness. For 12 years, casual fans and Poe fanatics alike have been able to flock here to debate his best poems over dinner, celebrate his birthday with black sheet cake, and, if they’re lucky, catch a glimpse of Bragunier’s original 1850 copy of the restaurant’s namesake poem. “I want this building to always be a monument to Poe, even after I’m gone and the restaurant is gone,” he says.

“I can’t think of any other city in the U.S. that reveres a writer the way that Baltimore reveres Poe.”

More recently, the Lord Baltimore Hotel began hosting a bi-monthly comedy show at Poe’s Magic Theatre, and there’s even a storytelling cruise around the Inner Harbor—aboard the Raven, no less—that discusses Poe’s presence in Baltimore. This August, the Baltimore-based National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre teamed up with local public radio station WYPR to premiere a part-radio drama, part-podcast series called Poe Theatre on the Air. Each month, co-founder Alex Zavistovich and a team of actors read adapted versions of some of Poe’s ghastly tales over the airwaves. “I think that giving people the opportunity to experience Poe beyond the limitations of the page is extremely valuable,” Zavistovich says. “When you hear it recounted, your mind fills in the blanks that reading it might not give you.”

But Baltimore’s latest claim to fame is the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards, which was created last year to bring fans from across the world together for a two-day celebration of his “death weekend.” It’s the first time that representatives from other historically significant Poe cities, including The Poe Museum of Richmond and the Bronx County Historical Society, which runs Poe Cottage, have joined forces with Poe Baltimore to give the festival’s thousands of attendees a well-rounded look at his life.

As Baltimore is the host city, many of the festival’s activities emphasize his time here, and for good reason. “Baltimore has the body, so I think we’re at the top of the list,” Jang says with a laugh. “But I like that all of the Poe places can celebrate and enjoy the history with each other.”

This year, in fact, 170 since his death, Poe’s dismal burial scene will happen again, but this time, mourners will travel by the busload to attend his “funeral” reenactment at the Carroll Mansion on Lombard Street—complete with a historically accurate casket, a hand-sculpted head, and a “body” dressed in a Christopher Schafer suit. Not to mention the dozens of wakes, readings, and performances being held across the city in his honor, while the Poe Society of Baltimore will also host its 97th commemorative lecture presented by a scholar who has dedicated their life to studying him.

Although some people might think it’s strange that places such as his grave and the North Amity Street home—now surrounded by both public housing and luxury apartments—have become shrine-like destinations for thousands of visitors every year, it’s a point of pride for local Poe fans. He may have struggled during his years here, but he worked through his hardships to achieve the type of success he always wanted.

“I can’t think of any other city in the U.S. that reveres a writer the same way that Baltimore reveres Poe—he’s not just a writer; he’s a feeling, an ethos, and it’s tied up in the identity of the city,” says Jang. “Poe suffered, but he was also highly intelligent, very sharp, and funny. I think that if you ask people who live in Baltimore, they would make the same observations about the city. There’s a true identification, I think, that great things can come from humble places.”

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

Jan. 12-21: Baltimore Restaurant Week

Locations & times vary. $20-35. 410-244-1030. 

As Baltimore’s food scene continues to boom, it’s hard to keep up with the ever-growing array of dining options around town. This month, make it your resolution to sample the best bites of the city with the help of Baltimore Restaurant Week. For 10 days, eat your way through discounted brunch, lunch, and dinner at more than 100 old favorites (Aldo’s, The Brewer’s Art, Gertrude’s, Miss Shirley’s, Petit Louis) and trendy newbies (Alma Cocina Latina, Bar Vasquez, Gunther & Co., Ida B’s Table, Minnow, Paulie Gee’s). With pre-fixe, mid-day meals as low as $12, and suppers as simple as $20, there’s no better time or easier way to become a Baltimore foodie.

 DRINK

Jan. 20: Game Day at Mount Vernon Marketplace

Mount Vernon Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Free.

With baseball and football seasons essentially beyond us (really, Ravens?), it’s time to focus on a different kind of game day—board games, that is. Mount Vernon Marketplace has quickly become a go-to spot for special activity nights in the city, be it their annual Mardi Gras celebration, standup comedy, or themed karaoke, and this weekend will be no different. This Saturday, head to the beloved food hall for a full day of fun and games. Each stall will be featuring their own special activity plus food and drink specials throughout the afternoon. At Taps Fill Station, indulge in specialty spiced mulled wine with Scrabble. At The Local Oyster, sip on hot  buttered rum while playing Giant Jenga and even Twister. Culture will feature spiked hot cocoa with backgammon, while Juniper Apothecary will offer soul-soothing spiced cider with Cards Against Humanity. 

 SEE

Jan. 19-21: LaxCon

Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St. Fri. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. $10-200.

It’s no secret that Maryland’s favorite sport is lacrosse, with grown-ups still rocking their high-school pinnies and local universities coming out on top in the NCAAs. This weekend, whether you’re an active athlete or retired benchsitter, join thousands of fellow laxers for the all-lax-everything event that is LaxCon. For three days, you can grab some gear, network with players, watch an indoor game, or hone your own skills at one of the weekend’s many workshops and clinics.

 HEAR

Jan. 19: Honoring Poe’s 209th Birthday

Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, W. Fayette St. near N. Green St. 6-6:30 p.m. Free.

January traditions usually involve new gym memberships and a month off from drinking, but in Baltimore, that post-holiday haze is interrupted by another festive ritual: the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe. The macabre poet spent many years in Baltimore, and in the end, he was laid to rest near downtown in an area that is now helmed by the University of Maryland. This weekend at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, hundreds of Poe fans will unite for an annual graveyard toast, featuring apple cider, readings, and the anticipation of the mysterious Poe Toaster who arrives every year on the anniversary of the poet’s birth to lay a bottle of cognac and three roses on his grave. Join in this beloved Baltimore tradition and wish a happy 209th birthday to Edgar. 

 DO

Jan. 20: Women’s March Baltimore

War Memorial Plaza, E. Fayette St. at N. Gay St. Rally, 11 a.m.; March, 12:30 p.m. Free. 

One year ago this weekend, the world stood in awe as hundreds of thousands of people gathered across the planet to march in support of women. On the heels of some incredulous statements by and accusations against President Donald Trump, females, friends, and families congregated in and walked across Washington, D.C., but also New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. At least 400 marches were reported on all seven continents, creating an unforgettable moment that would unknowingly lead into a remarkable year for women, propelled forward most notably by the #MeToo movement. This Saturday, celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Women’s March and continue to stand up for women’s rights during Baltimore’s own rally, featuring notable local speakers, and a march toward McKeldin Square.

Visual Art

Scott Pennington’s Two-Minute Joys
Scott Pennington’s art is nothing if not fun. He draws from his experience as a furniture maker to craft large-scale, interactive artwork. Through several light-based installations and wall pieces, his latest show, Two-Minute Joys, explores a tradition Pennington grew up with: the carnivals that make their rounds from town to town, bringing people together among their bright lights, rich colors, and the sweet scent of carnival food. It’s what the artist refers to as the “carnival aesthetic,” prevalent throughout his work. Indulge in a carnival trip of the mind at Maryland Art Place, courtesy of Pennington. Jan. 18 through March 10, MAP, 218 W. Saratoga St. Reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 18.

Curatorial tour of Beyond Flight: Birds in African Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art exhibit Beyond Flight: Birds in African Art shows the many uses of birds in sub-Saharan art. See the dramatic masks worn during rituals, herbalists’ staffs, and household objects embellished with bird imagery while meditating on how these winged creatures have piqued our curiosity over the centuries. As BMA associate curator of African art Kevin Tervala pointed out, birds make up less than one percent of living things and yet are used extensively throughout all artistic genres. Through June 10, BMA, 10 Art Museum Drive; curatorial tour from 2 to 3 p.m. Jan. 5.

Art talk with longtime MICA instructor James Hennessey
As a decades-long painting instructor at Maryland Institute College of Art, James Hennessey influenced the work of thousands of Baltimore artists. His retrospective exhibit at the Creative Alliance, Enduring Concerns, celebrates him with a survey of his paintings done over the years that he’s worked in the city. Through Jan. 13, with an artist talk at 7 p.m. Jan. 6, Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Dance

King of What: Bboy/Bgirl Jam
Motor House will play host to breakers from across the U.S. and Canada during its five-hour King of What, which kicks off with a cypher that will allow hundreds of dancers to showcase their skills before a selected few move into one-on-one competition—i.e., before things get real. One lucky break-boy or -girl will be named the best and take home $1,000 (and someone else will win a $100 prize for having the flyest getup). And if five hours isn’t enough, there’s an after party. 5 to 10 p.m. Jan. 20 at Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Music

Hirsute live
The only thing better than an album listening party is an album performed live in its entirety. Amy Reid will provide us with this gift at the performance of her 2017 release Hirsute at the Motor House. She’ll be joined by a band to combine electronica, vocals, and live instrumentation. Plus, guest artists  Infinity Knives & Randi will perform, and Hanna Olivegren (of Zomes) and Noelle Tolbert will explore movement and sound. 9 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Off The Cuff: Impressionist Masterworks
For a tasty music and art pairing, try the January installment of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Off the Cuff series, where the music of Debussy and Ravel will be performed alongside projected images of Impressionist art by Monet, Degas, Cézanne, and others, and you’ll learn how Impressionism influenced composers of the day. In collaboration with the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Impressionist Masterworks short-format concert includes commentary from BSO music director Marin Alsop and BMA senior curator of European painting and sculpture Katy Rothkopf, who will provide context to enrich the experience. An after party, Ravel on the Rocks, will extend the night with live gypsy jazz by Orchester Prazevica and food from Dooby’s. 7 p.m. Jan. 13, Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.

Literary Arts

Red Emma’s Mother Earth Poetry Vibe
The gift of poetry is its ability to inspire us. With that idea in mind, Red Emma’s Mother Earth Poetry Vibe is an open mic that focuses on work that engages conscious thought, spirituality, justice, equality, and, in short, raises the vibration of our collective consciousness. All are welcome to share, while Philadelphia-based lyricist, author, educator, and voiceover artist Lyrispect will be the featured guest of the evening. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 3 at Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave.

Miscellanea

Edgar Allan Poe: Evermore
Raise your glass for a toast to the macabre poet Baltimore claims as its own, Edgar Allan Poe, who would have been 209 on Jan. 19, had he not died of . . . well, either alcohol, brain congestion, cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, tuberculosis, or suicide (don’t worry, folks, you’ll just be drinking nonalcoholic apple cider, courtesy of Poe Baltimore). 6 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, 519 W. Fayette St.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade
“We’ve got some difficult days ahead,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said to a crowd in Memphis, Tennessee, less than 24 hours before he was assassinated. “But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop. . . . I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.” Baltimore will celebrate the legendary Civil Rights activist on his birthday with a parade down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 15.

Moonifestations of Ancestor Earth closing
What do you get when you combine meditation with January’s waxing moon? One guess is Moonifestations. Xander Dumas and Elliot Moonstone, better known as The Dandy Vagabonds, will close out their fiber-art installation Moonifestations of Ancestor Earth: a voyage of expansion at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower with a guided meditation. Through the use of astrology and gemstones, they’ll help the group to “moonifest” individual and collective intentions. Come dressed in the likeness of your favorite element, stone, or planet, and bring a journal. Noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 27, Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower Galleries, 21 S. Eutaw St.

News

Resort, a new contemporary art gallery
Resort, a new gallery in Baltimore exhibiting contemporary art, will hold its inaugural show this month. A Big Toe Touches a Green Tomato will showcase the work of former artistic director of The Contemporary Ginevra Shay and Philadelphia-based artist and self-described “plant person” Roxana Azar. Jan. 20 through March 3; opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 20, Resort, 235 Park Ave.

In 2010, the mysterious stranger—or strangers—who had for decades delivered three roses and a bottle of cognac to Edgar Allan Poe’s grave in Westminster Burying Ground to mark the poet’s January birthday failed to show. It represented the end of the so-called Poe Toaster—until now.

In late 2015, the Maryland Historical Society, Poe Baltimore, and Westminster Hall and Burying Ground held an American Idol-style competition to crown the next Poe Toaster. Twelve finalists performed their own versions of graveside rituals for judges and an audience of about 100, who then chose the winner via secret ballot. The new Poe Toaster, whose identity remains secret, will debut this month during Poe’s birthday weekend celebrations.

As for what to expect, Katie Caljean of the Maryland Historical Society is mostly mum. “We kind of want to keep it a surprise, but it is not a typical three roses and bottle of cognac,” she says. “It’s something more artistic and a little more haunting.” If all goes well, Caljean says that the Toaster could appear at other events throughout the year, like the Mt. Vernon Monument lighting or HonFest, and that the competition could become its own annual tradition.

“In 2009, we lost this little quirk,” she says. “We need to be able to celebrate all of Baltimore’s quirks and characters.”

Edgar Allan Poe’s Baltimore
David F. Gaylin (Arcadia Publishing)

You can hardly go anywhere in Baltimore without encountering an Edgar Allan Poe reference. But details about the iconic American author’s time in Charm City are less widely known. That’s where Gaylin’s book comes in. Through photos, sketches, and memorabilia from the 1800s, he illustrates Poe’s history—the early literary years with Baltimore mentors, the house on North Amity Street where Poe lived for two years, and his last days at a city hospital. At the end, you’re left with a better understanding of Poe’s troubled life, and the impact he continues to have on Baltimore.

Bluegrass in Baltimore: The Hard Drivin’ Sound and Its Legacy
Tim Newby (McFarland & Company)

In the ’50s, Baltimore was the epicenter of the bluegrass scene, which arrived in Charm City via Appalachian migrants. Newby’s work is momentous as it is the first compendium to examine this deeply rooted tradition. He deftly details the stories of big names who started their careers here—Mike Seeger (Pete’s half brother), Hazel Dickens, and The Stoney Mountain Boys among them. Even better is the “recommended listening” that starts each chapter, the perfect soundtrack to Newby’s words.

Historical Notes

January 19, 2015

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

“I won’t be doing a lot of twirling,” says Dunbar High School drum major Martuise Montgomery, a silver baton tucked into the nook of his elbow as he rubs his hands together before the start of the 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade. “I’m afraid I’ll drop it. I’m freezing, but it’s important to be here. We’re marching to honor Dr. King’s marches.”

Despite the chill, deep crowds line the 10-block route and, moments later, Martuise kick-starts the trombones and trumpets with pumps of his baton. Their first number, “Wade into the Water,” is an old Negro spiritual, which Harriet Tubman used as a reminder to escaping slaves to get off the trail to prevent dogs from tracking their scents. Nearly 70 groups follow Dunbar’s lead, including the Buffalo Soldiers of the Baltimore Chapter 9th and 10th Calvary Association on horseback, and neighborhood marching bands like the Westsiders and Baltimore Go-Getters.

Among the songs blasting today is Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.”

“Many of our kids know that song, but don’t know that Stevie Wonder wrote it in 1980 because of the backlash against making Dr. King’s birthday a holiday,” says Charles Funn, Dunbar’s band director. “That song swayed public opinion. I’m not just a music teacher,” Funn adds, standing next to Martuise, who eventually worked up a sweat with his high stepping, as the band gathers near their bus afterward. “I was about their age when Dr. King was shot. I try to be a history teacher, too.”

Dark Places

January 19, 2015
West Fayette Street

Laura Fabian places three red roses at Edgar Allan Poe’s memorial on what would be the macabre poet’s 206th birthday. “One for each person buried,” she says, a telltale smile alluding to the discomforting weirdness that remains the hallmark of the writer’s mysterious work—and life. “That’s Poe, his cousin/wife Virginia, and his aunt/mother-in-law Maria.”

Per tradition, there’s also a reading this afternoon of a few of Poe’s despairing poems, including “Alone,” by local actor Tony Tsendeas, dressed, appropriately, in black from head to toe.

“My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone.”

Following the readings, Poe House curator emeritus Jeff Jerome and this year’s honored guest, Victoria Price, daughter of legendary horror movie villain Vincent Price, lay a rose-filled wreath on the grave, a birthday custom dating back to the 1920s. Afterward, Price tells the gathering that her father, who starred in numerous Poe-inspired films, particularly loved his poems, which naturally suited her father’s rare combination of gifts—a mellifluous voice and intimidating 6-foot-4 presence.

In fact, Jerome adds, Vincent Price deserves great credit for bringing Poe’s works to wider notice with his 1960’s films. He also notes that the actor visited Poe’s memorial and the catacombs beneath Westminster Hall in 1977. “He was in a show at the Morris Mechanic and this was before the renovations here,” Jerome explains. “At one point, when we’re down in the catacombs, which were even darker and creepier than they are now, I felt him grab my arm and pull me toward him.

‘I don’t like it in here,’ he whispers.

“And what did I blurt out [in reply]? ‘Oh, you big baby.'”

Cat Power

January 25, 2015
York Road

There’s a kangaroo and a monkey inside the Maryland State Fairgrounds’ Cow Palace, but most animals at the packed World of Pets Expo appear to be domesticated. Filled with folks who’ve brought their own dogs for a look-see, the three-day show features parrot-training demos, pet CPR workshops, canine “good citizen” tests, and a talk on animal hospice care. There are rabbits and alpacas as well as booths for pet portraits and, believe it or not, a rat rescue operation. Highlights today include the “Gerbil Olympics,” the dog long-jumping finals, championship pure-breed shows, and the 7th Annual Household Pet Cat Show.

Thirty-two felines are entered in the household pet competition, a sort of beauty contest for the every-cat, where Norma Anderson, 75, an American Cat Fanciers Association judge, checks their cleanliness, paws, and coats on a tiny, well-lit stage. She also engages each cat, petting them, and offering toys and a climbing post. The scoring is fairly subjective. “Whatever cat I enjoy the most,” says Anderson, who has 13 of her own.

Most contestants are tabbies of various hues, but there’s also a hairless sphynx that resembles ET and a British shorthair named Earl Grey. “He likes tea,” volunteers his owner. Of course, the cats generally appear uninterested. Ultimately, a tabby named Johnny Rotten, who, unlike his punk-rock namesake, is exceedingly cuddly, wins first place. “The outgoing cats win because most cats aren’t that way,” says Anderson. “Dogs love everyone. With cats, you have to earn their trust and affection, which is harder, but it’s also why people like them. You know what they say, ‘Dogs have owners and cats have staffs.'”

The Baltimore Atrocities
John Dermot Woods (Coffee House Press)

This dark and deliberate novel works its way through more than 100 atrocities, all of them concise, tightly constructed tales of murder or malice each accompanied by an appropriately stark illustration. Woods, a Hopkins Writing Seminars grad, frames these pieces with a story of two men, each searching for an abducted sibling. Their investigations involve a degree of reflection, often on barstools, that gives the narrative a keen sense of place and a philosophical tone that helps it transcend being a mere catalog of loss. Chris Ware fans will relate to the deadpan delivery and sense of restraint. Edward Gorey fans will delight in the pageant of dreadful frights. Like those masters, Woods doesn’t build suspense so much as he creates ambiance infused with mystery and meaning.

See our Q&A with author John Dermot Woods.

Edgar Allan Poe: Stories & Poems (Illustrated by David Plunkert)
Edgar Allan Poe (Rockport Publishers)

This gorgeous volume is part of Rockport’s Classics Reimagined series, which pairs contemporary illustrators with works of literature such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Plunkert, co-founder of Hampden’s Spur Design studio, tackles Poe with the same gusto that characterizes his work for clients ranging from The New York Times to the Baltimore Theatre Project. Plunkert’s Dadaist sensibility injects new energy into Poe’s stories, as evocative collages and bold imagery activate key narrative elements or reflect the overall mood of a particular piece. His artwork allows for a fresh reading of these familiar stories, because it doesn’t shy from the aching humanity at their creative core. It serves as a reminder that these are, indeed, tales of mystery and imagination. David Plunkert will sign copies of his book at the B&O Railroad Museum on December 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Do Not Sell at Any Price
Amanda Petrusich (Scribner)

A few years back, I spent the day with legendary record collector Joe Bussard at his Frederick home. Bussard wanted to play some of his favorite 78s and asked me to give him a heads-up an hour before I had to leave so he could “start winding down.” Recalling that afternoon, I don’t know what was better—the pre-War country and blues songs Bussard played, or his head-bobbing, eye-bulging, arm-waving enthusiasm for each and every tune. Here, Petrusich captures the intensity of Bussard and other vinyl obsessives like him. Petrusich takes readers into their insular world, revels in their eccentricities, and, ultimately, honors their quest. By the end of the book, you fully understand why folks like Bussard prefer a basement full of records thick as pancakes to an iPhone loaded with mp3s. In fact, it just might inspire you to fetch that old turntable from the attic. 

Remembering Poe

January 19, 2014
West Fayette Street

As
barren trees cast shadows over Westminster Hall on a late Sunday
afternoon, those arriving to salute Edgar Allan Poe’s 205th birthday
gently place roses and pennies, per tradition, around the macabre poet’s
burial memorial. (In 1865, Baltimore schoolchildren began collecting
pennies to move Poe’s body from an unmarked grave to its current resting
spot.)

A festive Irish folk song kicks off the occasion, followed
by remarks from Poe House curator emeritus Jeff Jerome. Beneath a
spotlight, actors in period costumes, including Emily Cory in a black
evening gown and cape, perform readings of the despairing poet’s
best-known works, including “Annabel Lee,” “The Raven,” and “Alone,” for
the 60 or so visitors crowding the small burial area.

“From childhood’s hour I have not been

As others were; I have not seen

As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.”

After
the presentation, those gathered—some have come for decades to the
annual event—stay for a raffle of original concrete pieces from Poe’s
old Amity Street home and a couple of Poe-themed birthday cakes before
beginning a tour of the catacombs under the historic hall.

“I’ve
been coming since the 1970s,” says Jo Ann Irick Jones, holding one of
the sought-after black frosted cakes, decorated with red roses and the
iconic image of the sunken-cheeked, sad-eyed poet. “This was where my
husband, he’s now passed, and I came on our first date. We both loved
Poe. We spent the rest of the day driving around Baltimore, talking and
getting to know one another. To me, this is a romantic place.”

American Dream

January 30, 2014
Pratt Street

In
a “holding room” inside the Baltimore Convention Center, hip-hop dance
troupes, teen twirlers, would-be pop stars, comedians, crooners, belly
dancers, an exotic pink-flamingo-riding unicyclist, and an Elvis
impersonator wait for their numbers to be called.

A stage mother
helps with makeup, and a 62-year-old real-estate agent in a tuxedo
trumpets his rendition of “What a Wonderful World.” At one point,
whether to relieve stress or boredom—or just for fun—an impromptu
dance-off, drag cowgirl included, breaks out.

With hopefuls lining
up at 5 a.m. on Pratt Street, executive producer Jason Raff expects a
day-long turnout of maybe 3,000 for the traveling America’s Got Talent
auditions—each aspirant allotted 90 seconds to impress the producers.

In
a registration line as long as the wait for a Disney ride, Feng Zhu,
from Philadelphia by way of Beijing, passes time peforming everything
from Adele’s “Someone Like You” to Mozart’s “Turkish March” on his
Chinese-made melodica, played by blowing air through a small hose
attached to a one-handed keyboard, creating an accordion-like sound.
Listening behind Zhu, who goes by “Zach,” Pigtown gospel beatboxer Corey
Braxton suggests they improv something, which they do, earning applause
from nearby contestants as Zhu adds a foot cymbal to his act.

Asked
about his background, Zhu, in suit and tie, bows and introduces
himself, explaining, in accented but perfect English, that he studied
piano for 20 years. He also recently earned a master’s degree in finance
at Temple University.

“I want to live the American dream,” he
says. “I’ve applied to become a translator and buyer with a New Jersey
aluminum company.” So, why is he here now? “The real dream. To play
music and be a star.”

Pet Friendly

February 1, 2014
York Road, Timonium

“DO NOT handle the dragons without permission,” warns a sign.

“How
much is the iguana?”, “Will the hedgehog show its face?” asks Melanie
Osborne, taking smartphone photos of the scaled, shelled, hairy, and
quilled creatures at Repticon—the two-day reptile and exotic-animal
show, returning for the fourth time to the Maryland State Fairgrounds.
“My sons want a lizard, a snake, and a chameleon—we’ve had two lizards,”
the Severna Park native explains. “Basically, we’re allergic to cats
and dogs.”

Nearby, a teenager touches a big frog, then pokes it a second time: “Does it bite?”

“Yes, it eats mice,” says the exhibitor.

Others
check out the neon geckos and pet the pythons curled around vendors’
necks. Bearded dragons, a vendor assures, actually make quite nice pets.
“They’ll stay on your shoulder or sit on the windowsill in the sun.” A
Halethorpe-based AR Reptile House rep, explains he and his partners keep
25 snakes in their row-house basement—and breed rats (for feeding).
“The neighbors are pretty cool about it.” Meanwhile, Paige Zinderman, a
Carver Center for the Arts & Technology senior, happily allows a
four-inch tarantula to creep back and forth across her hands.

“Aren’t
they poisonous?,” a man asks. “No, venomous,” its owner clarifies.
“Blowfish are poisonous, in that if you eat one, you get poisoned.
Things that are venomous bite you. They have fangs.”

“Oh,” the man replies.

“I
like cats, too, but have you ever been to a cat show?” asks Zinderman.
“Cats are [all] pretty much the same. I like the way the snakes move. I
like that there are a hundred different reptiles here.

“And look around, I fit in,” she adds. “The people are weird.”