Monday, January 19, 2009

Happy Birthday Edgar!

Today is Edgar Allen Poe's birthday and if he were still alive he would be 160.

To me he always seemed a melancholy man, with baggy eyes and somber expression. His stories made me itchy, as if something were watching me. I once made the mistake of reading "The Cask of Amontillado" in the middle of the night and had horrible nightmares.

His life wasn't without controversy though. He married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia Clemm The marriage certificate claimed she was 21. As well, though he's praised by many today, some in the literary circles of his time didn't appreciate his work. Yeats called him "vulgar" and Emerson said he didn't see anything in "The Raven".

If you're interested in making the little "Paper Poe" that I have sitting on my desk, Papertoyz has a template you can download. He's so cute and dour!

1 comment:

Melwyk said...

This is VERY cool. I'm off to take a look.