Poe celebrations schedule

 

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    To celebrate the bicentennial year of Richmond's favorite son, a host of local museums, historical sites, libraries and performing-arts groups are joining forces for a citywide, yearlong celebration of the man, his works and his life.

    Here's a look at what's going on:

    Today through Monday

    Two-hour bus tours of Richmond sites relevant to the life and times of Poe depart from the Poe Museum, 1914-16 E. Main St., at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. today through Saturday, 2 p.m. only on Sunday, and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $25. Call (804) 502-1922 for reservations.

    Tomorrow

    A ceremony unveiling a commemorative postage stamp to honor Poe will be at 11 a.m. at the Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St. The event will feature a lecture by Harry Lee Poe, who has written a biography of his cousin. Harry Lee Poe will also speak at 7 p.m. at St. John's Church, 2401 E. Broad St., with a reception beginning at 6 p.m.

    Saturday

    From 1 to 4 p.m., a treasure hunt using Poe-specific clues will be offered by Ravenchase.com. The cost is $35 per person; registration and information are at the Virginia Public Hunts page at http://www.ravenchase.com. A car is required for this event.

    Monday

  • The Poe Museum will hold an all-day birthday bash -- all day Monday, as in 24 hours.
  • The festivities begin at 12:01 a.m. with a champagne toast at the Poe shrine in the museum's Enchanted Garden.

    At 2 a.m., the museum will hold a séance to try to contact Poe. In addition, birthday cake will be served (1 p.m.), tours of Poe sites will be given by Segway (11 a.m., 2 p.m.) and by foot (7 p.m., with candlelight and refreshments), book-signings will be held for "Edgar Allan Poe in Richmond" (1 p.m.) and "Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories" (3 p.m.), there will be a performance by actor David Keltz (4 p.m.) and, of course, tours will be given of the museum throughout the day and especially in the dead of night.

  • At noon, the Fountain Bookstore (1312 E. Cary St.) will have what it calls "Eddie Poe's Birthday Party," with free cake and coffee.
  • Wednesday

    Actor Scott Craig Jones will perform some of Poe's best-loved works at the Chester Library; however, this free event is sold out.

    Next Thursday and Jan. 25

    The Richmond Symphony gets into the action next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. Jan. 25. The orchestra will perform a Kicked-Back Classics musical tribute to Poe. Both shows are at The National.

    Down the road

    Other Poe-etic events are scheduled throughout the year all over the state, including many events in Charlottesville, where the young writer attended the University of Virginia.

  • In March, the university library will open a major exhibit of Poe artifacts, including original manuscripts of "The Raven" and "Murders in the Rue Morgue," along with letters and his desk and chair from the Southern Literary Messenger.
  • In Richmond, Poe's mother -- presumably an actress portraying her -- is giving tours of what the Poe Museum calls "her current residence," the St. John's Church cemetery, at 11 a.m. every Wednesday throughout the year. Included in the tour are some of her neighbors, such as Poe's last fiancée, Elmira Shelton, whose house still stands across the street from the church, and his first boss, Thomas W. White, editor of the Southern Literary Messenger, who rests in the same churchyard.
  • From July through December, the Library of Virginia will exhibit the Poe family Bible, in which is recorded information about family births, deaths and marriages as far back as 1725. The Bible is part of a wider exhibit of artifacts called "Poe: Man, Myth or Monster."
  • For more information about all the year's celebrations, go to http://www.poe200th.com. -- Daniel Neman

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