Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial Media Roundup

The mainstream media is unleashing a flurry of interesting articles to mark the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth a few days ago. Over the past weekend, several major American and international papers published articles discussing various aspects of the weird writer. Below are a few of stories I found most interesting and informative:

• "Who Owns Edgar Allan Poe?" The Los Angeles Times put out this piece, which, in addition to reviewing a few good contemporary books on Poe, covers the outbreak of the "Poe Wars." This conflict refers to the aggressive attempts of various US cities to claim him as their own. The intrepid and shifty author was well known for settling in several different cities throughout his life along the East Coast. This greedy battle over Poe's homesteads is fascinating, though seemingly a little ridiculous. Isn't there enough Edgar Allan to go around?
• "Read Street: On 200th Anniversary of Poe's Birth, Authors Talk About His Influence:" This article from The Baltimore Sun is a little more than a general "happy birthday" message, though it certainly includes that. It holds the brief opinions of three award winning authors about the influence of Poe on American literature. It is, in fact, just a preview. These personalities will weigh in as guests in the newspaper throughout the week, providing more elaborate commentary on the dark legacy of Mr. Poe.
• "A Quiz on Edgar Allan Poe:" Think you know your stuff about the dark writer? Then try this quiz from The Plain Dealer about Poe. This one is just for fun. It compiles a sampling of questions ranging in difficulty about his life and literary output.
• "Poe Continues to Beat Under the Floorboards of Popular Culture:" Randy Shore of the Canada.com blog has done his research on recent Poe items, and it shows. This fine article summarizes the myriad of films, books, music, and events that have recently appeared or are on the horizon based on his work.
• "Lure of Poe's Grave in Baltimore Remains Strong 200 Years After Author's Death:" An article by The Free-Lance Star notes that Poe's grave continues to gain attention alongside his unusual life. Consider this a brief overview of the posthumous life of Poe and his cemetery markers. It gives a glimpse at the difficult, and sometimes odd history of raising funds and maintaining physical memorials for the famous writer since his death. Sadly, an author so deserving has experienced more than his share of difficulties just obtaining and keeping a proper tombstone.

-Grim Blogger