Today marks 216 years since the birth of Edgar Allan Poe and 222 years since the birth of Sarah Helen Whitman.
I like to say that, perhaps, Poe’s greatest work is his fans, proven by the outpouring of love for him on this day throughout the world. And Sarah Helen Whitman, his brief love and ardent champion—was also a fan of his writings and later helped document details of his life for posterity. In a way, she was one of his first fans, which makes her history with him that much more special.
Happy Birthday you two, wherever you may be…
Was it not Fate, that, on this July midnight—
Was it not Fate, (whose name is also Sorrow,)
That bade me pause before that garden-gate,
To breathe the incense of those slumbering roses?
-From Poe’s second titled, “To Helen”
Edgar Allan Poe: Rhode Island 
Thank you Levi. Stay warm! Talk soon. Pat & Vin
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I am teaching a lifelong learning class on Poe’s non-horror works and the various locations associated with him. Your website is a real treasure. I hope to get to Providence some day to take your tour.
Avi’s book, The Man Who Was Poe and Nathaniel Philbrick’s Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy got me walking the streets of College Hill and Fox Point on Google maps looking for the many places associated with these men’s visits and diving deeper into Poe’s time there.
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What a great subject for a class! I think many people would be surprised to learn that horror was a TINY fraction of what Poe actually wrote! But of course it’s what he’s known for today. Avi’s book is a great introduction to Poe’s time in Providence. I get a lot of patrons on my tour who tell me that their first learning of Poe in Providence was from that novel. I really appreciate your compliments on the website. Whenever you get a chance to visit Providence again, please reach out for a tour! In the meantime, let me know if you ever have any questions. You can email me at levi@edgarallanpoeri.com. Take care, and good luck with that awesome class! 🙂
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