Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Location: Central Library in Copley Square

A talk in honor of Poe’s birth in Boston on January 19, 1809 with Paul Lewis, Professor Emeritus at Boston College. 

1845 was both the best and worst of years for Edgar Allan Poe. In late January, he published his most haunting poem, “The Raven.” Widely reprinted, celebrated, and mocked, it boosted Poe’s public standing and presence on the lecture circuit. On October 16, Poe spoke at the Boston Lyceum. On the stage of the Odeon Theatre at the intersection of Franklin and Federal Streets, Poe began by insulting the audience. While the ensuing war of words between Poe and the Bostonians was driven by personal animus, it was also based on contrasting views of how literature should affect readers. Poe’s standing at the time and his enduring influence on world literature were at stake in this most dramatic moment of his eventful career.

After the talk there will be a celebratory group recitation of “The Raven.”