This year marks the bicentennial of the birth of Virginia Clemm Poe famous wife of Edgar Allan Poe. Her life is a bit of mystery. March is International Women's Month and the perfect one to talk about Mrs. Poe. In conjunction with the Maryland Women's Heritage Center and Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum / Poe Baltimore there's a presentation today, March 15, to discuss her life. Tonight is the first of the events about Virginia and it is a ticketed event. Tickets are very reasonably priced.
MUSE, the Life and Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe's Beloved Child Bride
Tuesday, March 15th, 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Tickets here $5 – $10
Source: Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum/Poe Baltimore
**This event will be a live recording with interactive Q&A. Attendees register to participate in the discussion series. Edited portions will stream later on Facebook and YouTube.**Edgar Allan Poe famously claimed the “death of a beautiful woman” as the most poetical subject in the world. The prolonged suffering of his beautiful, dying wife, Virginia Poe (1822 – 1847,) almost certainly inspired this belief. Muse, poetess, child bride, daughter of Baltimore, Virginia Poe remains one of the most enigmatic and controversial figures in the famed author's history. Commemorating the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe's beloved wife, the Virginia Poe Bicentennial will include monthly virtual and in-person programs including grave-side chats, hidden history, discussion series, and exhibits.
Act I
As She Lay Dying: Virginia Poe as Edgar's Muse in the Fordham CottageRoger McCormack, the education coordinator at The Bronx County Historical Society, is pleased to present “As She Lay Dying: Virginia Poe as Edgar's Muse in the Fordham Cottage.”The Bronx County Historical Society’s Director of Education is in charge of tours of the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in Fordham, the oldest Poe Museum, first opened in 1913. The cottage was built in 1812 and is a New York City and State landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic house museum is famous as the final home of the writer. Mr. McCormack is excited to infuse his passion for Poe for the Virginia Poe Bicentennial.
Act II
Daughters of Baltimore: The Lives of Women in 1830s Maryland. Ida E. Jones is the inaugural University Archivist at Morgan State University. Since 2016 her work in the Beulah M. Davis Room explores institutional and community history where Morgan State and Baltimore city intersect. The Davis Room houses the university’s historical material along with rare books and manuscript collections. Dr. Jones is involved with the Maryland Heritage Center and the Baltimore City Historical Society seeking to connect and excavate important links.
Act III
The Life of Virginia Poe, Beloved Child BrideEnrica Jang, Executive Director, Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum will conduct a Virtual Tour of the historic Poe House in Baltimore where Edgar lived with the Clemms and began his professional career. This is the third in a series of monthly programs for the Virginia Poe Bicentennial; follow us on social media to be alerted when events are happening! The Virginia Poe Bicentennial is presented by Poe Baltimore, Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, Maryland Women's Heritage Center, the Poe Cottage at Fordham (Bronx, NYC,) with generous help and participation from Poe Studies Association, The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore and The Poe Museum (Richmond.)
Speakers
Join us for this educational peak into the life of Virginia Poe and how she most definitely inspired Poe's writing.
