JACKSON, Tenn. — Sept. 17, 2019 — A collection of Edgar Allan Poe items owned by Hal Poe, Charles Colson Professor of Faith and Culture at 51社区, will be displayed in an exhibit at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky.
The exhibit, called 鈥淏eyond the Raven: The Poe You Don鈥檛 Know,鈥� will be displayed Sept. 19-Nov. 1 in conjunction with the museum鈥檚 10th annual Edgar Allan Poe Performance Series, 鈥淎n Evening with Poe,鈥� which features stage adaptations of his short stories.
鈥淚鈥檓 interested in exposing people to Poe鈥檚 writings because he鈥檚 been so stereotyped as a horror writer, but he didn鈥檛 really like horror stories and only wrote a few,鈥� Hal Poe said. 鈥淎 third of his 75 short stories are comedies.鈥�
The exhibit will not only feature historical items and publications, but items that reflect Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 vast influence on pop culture. Edgar Allan Poe invented the mystery story and pioneered the science fiction genre, Hal Poe said: 鈥淢ary Shelley invented [science fiction] with 鈥楩rankenstein,鈥� but no one did much with it until Poe.鈥�
His collection includes a rare short story volume from 1845, antique photographs, first printings, comic books, commemorative stamps and first-day covers, ceramics, busts, bobbleheads, musical items and movie posters. Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 works have inspired more than 250 film adaptations, and his influence even extends into 20th century music.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a significant collection, and it鈥檚 been fun to accumulate it,鈥� said Hal Poe, who has purchased most of the items from eBay. He has regularly lent out his collection for display since 2009, the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 birth.
Hal Poe鈥檚 interest in his distant ancestor first began out of a family obligation 鈥� someone from the Poe family was needed to serve on the board of the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. As Hal Poe learned more about his ancestor, he became particularly interested in Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 spiritual journey, which was much like that of C.S. Lewis, he said. The main difference is that Lewis wrote for 30 years after his conversion, and Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849, just six weeks after he gave his life to Christ.
鈥淓verything that he did write, though, reflects his spiritual pilgrimage and how he was trying to resolve issues in his own mind about the problem of suffering,鈥� Hal Poe said.
In 鈥淓ureka,鈥� a 150-page essay published in 1848, Edgar Allan Poe tackled big philosophical questions regarding suffering, beauty and humanity鈥檚 very existence.
鈥淗is conclusion was God exists and is the Creator, and that the problem of suffering is that we鈥檙e in the middle of the story 鈥� the universe is a drama and God is the perfect playwright 鈥� and that the resolution comes at the end of the story,鈥� Hal Poe said.
Whenever Hal Poe puts his collection on exhibit, he always gives a public lecture and has the opportunity to talk about Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 spiritual journey and how it is resolved in Christ.
鈥淲hat I do with Poe is demonstrate that the basic spiritual questions that everybody has are only answered by the gospel,鈥� Hal Poe said.
Hal Poe has written two books on his ancestor: 鈥淓vermore: Edgar Allan Poe and the Mystery of the Universe鈥� and 鈥淓dgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories.鈥�