WHY POE MATTERS—From an international point of
view, Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) remains one of the most popular and
influential American writers, according to a group dedicated to studying the 19th
century writer. Poe’s works are studied
world wide and continue to be an inspiration for writers and poets of all
cultures.
This week, the 250-member Edgar
Allan Poe Studies Association (PSA) will hold its fourth annual international
conference at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan from Thursday, Feb. 26 thru Mar.
1.
The PSA conference, which is hosted
by the English Department of the Pennsylvania State University, expects to draw
Poe scholars from 24 countries, who will present more than 150 papers on topics
ranging from Poe’s works to his international significance.
Keynote speaker is professor J.
Gerald Kennedy from Louisiana State University whose talk is titled “Why Poe
Matters Now.”
The PSA has noted that interest in
Poe always increases during uncertain and troubled times. If that be true, Poe indeed should be the
world’s most popular writer ever.
PSA conferences have been held in
Richmond (1999), Baltimore (2002) and Philadelphia (2009).
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