Baltimore to Remain Edgar Allan Poe's City...For Now

Yesterday, after weary hours of deliberation, a small group of Edgar Allan Poe descendants left Baltimore as the de facto home of the weird writer. The actual decision was decreed by a very distant cousin of Poe: the family members will not select any city this time, but will re-evaluate the issue in 2049, when the bicentennial of Poe's death occurs. So, Baltimore remains the strongest claimant to Poe's legacy, but don't expect this to stop Richmond, Philadelphia, Boston, Charlottesville, Charleston, and even London from trying. The Maryland port city, where Poe spent his remaining years and died, has claimed Poe's mantle for some time now.

A much expanded account of this geographic wrangling can be read in this article from the San Francisco Examiner. To some, this whole issue certainly seems like much ado about nothing. However, for those who care about inflating the literary reputation of these cities, not to mention their tourist dollars, the battle over declaring a "Poe City" will continue to generate serious debates.

-Grim Blogger