Poe at 200 — Eerie After All These Years
By JOHN J. MILLER
On a snowy night toward the end of his life, Edgar Allan Poe delivered a lecture on the origins of the universe. It was an unusual topic — Poe was always more interested in death than birth — and the reviews were mixed. Frustrated by the response, Poe announced that 2,000 years would pass before his work was properly admired.
His remarks were soon published as “Eureka: A Prose Poem.” The book sold a few hundred copies and then slipped into obscurity, forgotten except for the fact that its author went on to become a giant of American literature in something less than two millennia.
It remains to be seen whether anyone will read Poe in the distant future. As we approach the bicentennial of his birth on Jan. 19, however, it’s obvious that Poe is far from “nameless here for evermore.”
Hardly anyone escapes from high-school English without bumping into at least a little Poe. “The Raven” remains one of the world’s most popular poems as well as the inspiration for the name of Baltimore’s professional football team. “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Black Cat,” and a number of other short stories are among the most anthologized tales ever written.
An awful lot of Poe looms on the horizon. On Jan. 16, the Postal Service will issue a stamp in his honor. Historic sites in Baltimore, the Bronx, Philadelphia and Richmond, Va., are kicking off year-long celebrations. Publishers plan to take advantage of the bicentennial, too. In October, Doubleday put out “Poe’s Children,” a collection of horror stories by the likes of Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The Mystery Writers of America has just released two additional volumes: “In the Shadow of the Master” includes 16 of Poe’s greatest hits, plus commentaries by best-selling novelists such as Michael Connelly and Joseph Wambaugh; “On a Raven’s Wing” features original tales by Mary Higgins Clark and others, each inspired by Poe.
Praise for Poe is by no means universal. The reviews always have been mixed, even on large questions about his legacy. “Enthusiasm for Poe is the mark of a decidedly primitive stage of reflection,” sniffed Henry James.
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The Orange County Register caught up with Nick 13 of Tiger Army to discuss the upcoming performances dubbed OCtoberflame 2008 begining tonight Oct. 23rd at The Grove in Anaheim.
Interview with Ben Wener
First, some good news for Tiger Army fans: Your favorite band is not breaking up.
Now the bad news: Should you miss out on the group’s five-show stand at the Grove of Anaheim – dubbed “OCtoberflame,” it kicks off Thursday night (Oct. 23) and concludes on Halloween – you may not have another chance to rejoin the Army for a long, long time.
“This is definitely not the end of Tiger Army,” says Nick 13, central figure and sole original member of the locally loved psychobilly trio. “But I do see it as the end of an era.”
Read the entire article HERE
The always ferociously fantastic Tiger Army are playing host as they perform 5 SO CAL Halloween shows this October at The Grove in Anaheim. These will be Tiger Army’s only shows in LA/OC until next year so get your tickets early….they’ll sell out fast! Also available are the totally awesome 5 show VIP Passes for some fun & fancy stuff each of those nights, pretty awesome right?