Join the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site

Saturday, February 21^st^ 2:00[--]{.smallcaps}3:30 [p.m.]{.smallcaps}

Celebrating Poe's Bicentennial

German Society of Pennsylvania, 611 Spring Garden Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19123

**Poe: 19 New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe**

edited by Ellen Datlow

With Edward Pettit, Philadelphia's foremost Poe scholar.

This collection of nineteen new stories takes inspiration from tales as
familiar as "The Masque of the Red Death," and as obscure as unfinished
fragments and snippets of his poems. You'll find no retreads here, "no
M. Dupin pursuing Hannibal Lecter."[^1] *Poe* "reminds you of the
seductive power of Poe's sometimes maddeningly perverse aesthetic"[^2]
without trying to imitate. It is fresh and original, revealing the
breadth of his influence.

**Ellen Datlow** has been editing short science fiction, fantasy, and
horror for almost thirty years and won has many awards, including *World
Fantasy, Locus, Hugo, International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson*, and
*Stoker* Awards. She was named recipient of the 2007 *Karl Edward Wagner
Award* for "outstanding contribution to the genre." She has been
co-editor of *The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror* for twenty-two years and
has edited or co-edited a large number of award-winning original
anthologies for adults, young adults, and children.

Three contributors from *Poe*'s all-star lineup will read from their
stories:

**Gregory Frost**: a writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction for
more than two decades; he's a *World Fantasy Award* and *International
Horror Guild Award* finalist for his historical thriller, *Fitcher's
Brides*. His short story collection, *Attack of the Jazz Giants & Other
Stories* was called by *Publishers Weekly* "one of the best fantasy
collections of the year" and itself features a different tale concerning
Mr. Poe. He is a Fiction Workshop Director at Swarthmore College.

**John Langan** is the author of "Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the
Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers," "Mr. Gaunt," and "On Skua
Island" all published in *The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.* He
has twice been nominated for the *International Horror Guild Award.* His
first novel, *House of Windows*, is forthcoming from Night Shade Books
in April. He teaches literature and creative writing at SUNY New Paltz.

**Laird Barron** is the author of a number of award-nominated short
stories appearing in SCIFICTION and *The Magazine of Fantasy & Science
Fiction*, and reprinted in *The Year\'s Best Fantasy and Horror, Year\'s
Best Fantasy 6*, and* Horror: The Best of the Year 2006 Edition*. His
first collection, *The Imago Sequence and Other Stories*, won the
inaugural *Shirley Jackson Award.*

Our Host is **Edward Pettit**, the Philly Poe Guy. When not stirring up
trouble as a literary provocateur, he is a freelance writer, book
reviewer and educator. Pettit is a member of the National Book Critics
Circle and the Mystery Writers of America.  He teaches writing at La
Salle University and maintains the *Bibliothecary*, a blogsite featuring
several blogs, including *Ed & Edgar,* chronicling his adventures in the
cult of Poe.

[^1]: Gary K. Wolfe, Review in *Locus*, January 2009

[^2]: ibid