Boston Delivers Twice the Poe

Baltimore, Philadelphia, Richmond, and New York, all lay claim to Edgar Allan Poe, but Boston had him first. He was born there in 1809 and he published “The Tell-tale Heart” there in 1843, shortly before he started publicly feuding with the Boston literary establishment in general—and with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in particular. “The Bostonians have no soul,” he wrote in 1845.

Now all is forgiven. In October, the city of Boston will unveil not one but two new statues in honor of Edgar Allan Poe.

First is “Poe Returning to Boston,” a life-size sculpture by Stefanie Rocknak that depicts Poe striding confidently into town, hair streaming, coat flapping in the breeze, a raven heralding his arrival. It will be dedicated on October 5 at Boylston Street and Charles Street South, otherwise known as Edgar Allan Poe Square.

The second is a bust of Poe sculpted by Bryan Moore that will grace the Boston Public Library. Among those who contributed to the Kickstarter that funded the project was Guillermo del Toro, who reportedly will receive a replica of Moore’s sculpture for his Los Angeles home. The bust will be dedicated on October 30.