Stuart M. Kaminsky dies at 75; prolific mystery writer -- latimes.com

Stuart M. Kaminsky dies at 75; prolific mystery writer -- latimes.com

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Poe-Pourri: "Visions" Film Coming Up

Supernatural in western New York...On Oct 14 at 7pm Ontario County Historical Society , 55 N. Main St., and Wood Library present the film “Visions: True Stories of Spiritualism, Secret Societies, and Murder”--a Big Read event. The film uses illustrations, animation and live action seq...uences to portray four true stories in 19th-century western New York. This documentary by Rochester NY filmmaker Michael Keene was "Best of the Fest" winner, Rochester International Film Festival. Museum members free. Non-members $3/person. Watch a trailer.

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read Out #4

When the Raven was first published in 1845, it was the talk of the town. Poe became an overnight sensation. The poem was performed in parlors at home and in public theaters. Even Poe gave public readings to enthralled audiences. As we get nearer to the Raven Read-Out by local dramatist Kathy Morris on October 8 at All Things Art, we are sharing some of the many Raven renditions that are out there. Here is one that is a little different - 18 YouTubers performing a joint recitation of The Raven. If you can't see the video below try this link.

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read Out #3

Here is a short clip from Homer Simpson's rendition of "The Raven". That's son Bart as the Raven. Reminder: Raven Read Out by local dramatist Kathy Morris on October 8 at All Things Art at 7pm.

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read Out #2

The Raven has also been performed by rockers and rappers. Here is a sample of a Raven rock rendition by the Alan Parsons Project, a British progressive rock band active between 1975 and 1990.

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read-Out #1

Since its publication in 1845, Poe's "The Raven" has become a cultural icon. But not everyone thinks it's that great. Fifty years ago, the poet-critic Louis Untermeyer wrote that "The Raven" contained "vulgar rhythms and an incongruous light-verse structure." He saw the poem as ostentatious - what we moderns might call "over the top."

Today, "The Raven" continues to be one of the most popular read-aloud poems. Everyone has their own version from celebrities like Vincent Price, Christopher Walken, James Earl Jones and Homer Simpson to rappers and hundreds of students who chose it as "their project." It's even been done in Yiddish and Latin.

On October 8 at 7pm, local dramatist Kathy Morris will perform her own rendition of the "The Raven" in a Big Read "Raven Read-Out" at All Things Art, 65 South Main Street, Canandaigua. Pick up a free copy of "The Raven" at Wood Library or All Things Art.

Until then, Poe-Pourri will be posting different Raven renditions each day. We start with Mr. Poe, himself, leading the way. What do you think? Good poetry or bad poetry?

Edgar Allan Poe Reading "The Raven"

This version was created by Jim Clark of PoetryAnimation. The audio recording comes from a rare 16RPM record made in the 1950's by the late Amercan actor and broadcaster Nelson Olmsted.