Edgar Allan Poe - Bicentennial Events

Wednesday's heart doth skipped a beat having wondered if she possibly missed the tickets-on-sale date to any of the 2009 Bicentennial Events honoring one of her favorite writers, Edgar Allan Poe. The events in her deeply-focused mind feature John Astin, yes, the famous John Astin whom portrayed Gomez Addams in "The Addams Family" and whom has starred in one-man shows portraying Mr. Poe.

In her careful analysis of flight options from the West Coast to Baltimore, she notes that major inaugural events are occurring near this time, therefore, it may be difficult to cheaply fly to the ones taking place Jan. 17 and 18. Perhaps many other travelers are using those flights to get themselves as near to DC as possible.

Then, with much more curiosity and desire for honoring the much celebrated writer, she spies further down the events page that it states, "The major event after January will be the funeral for Edgar Allan Poe complete with a horse drawn hearse with period coffin and body. This promises to be the big event of the bicentennial. The date will be Saturday, October 10, 2009. Due to the high level of interest two services will be held." Most intriguing, but not surprising, "John Astin has shown great interest presiding over the funeral." Oui, mon amour, how does one not take great interest, indeed!?

Edgar Allan Poe will also be celebrated outside of Baltimore, mostly for the fact that he spent 13 years in Richmond, Virginia. Poe wrote in a letter, "I am a Virginian--at least I call myself one, for I have resided all my life, until within the last few years, in Richmond." The Poe Revealed 2009 events page has many offers of ways to celebrate Mr. Poe.

Other cities with events include, Philadelphia, Boston, Eagle, Wisconsin; possibly The Bronx, NY.

And there's an RSA Conference using Edgar Allan Poe as the theme of their event because Poe was interested in crytography.