Ellen Datlow (who will be giving a eulogy at the funeral) alerts us to the fact that, as part of a year’s worth of celebrations in Baltimore, Maryland (recognizing Edgar Allan Poe’s bicentennial), the city is giving him the a funeral on a much greater scale than he would have had at the time (Poe was born 19 January 1809 and died 7 October 1849).
This October, the city will celebrate its most famous author with a series of funerary events, starting with a public viewing of his body on Wednesday 7 October 2009 at the Poe House (203 North Amity Street) from noon to 11PM. Starting that midnight (and running until 7AM) will be a vigil at the Poe Monument (at the entrance to Westminster Graveyard).
On Sunday 11 October, there will be a funeral procession from the Poe House to Westminster Hall, departing at 11:30AM. Poe’s casket will be transported in an antique horse drawn hearse. And following the procession will be not one, but two funerals; the first will start at 12:30 and the second at 4:30. According to the Bicentennial Committee, “As Mr. Poe’s death was sudden and unexpected exact details of the funeral are still in the planning stages. We can say that there will be two services to accommodate the expected throngs of people who wish to attend the event. The first service is at 12:30PM and the second service at 4:30PM. A number of people have been invited to speak and present eulogies for Mr. Poe. A list of confirmed speakers is listed below. We are awaiting confirmations from people in the entertainment, stage and literary fields. Not all speakers will be at both services. We are pleased to announce that beloved actor John Astin will officiate over both services. In addition to the speakers appropriate funeral music will be offered by Monte Maxwell, organist for the United States Naval Academy, who will play the 1889 Johnson organ, popular soloist Paula McCabe and a violinist. Due to the space required for Mr. Poe’s casket seating is limited to 300 people per service. The casket will be closed for the services.”
Confirmed funeral speakers:
The Reverend Rufus Griswold (literary acquaintance)
Sarah Helen Whitman (former fiancée)
George Lippard (devoted friend from Philadelphia)
George Rex Graham (editor, Burton’s Gentlemen’s Magazine)
Nathanial Parker Willis (loyal friend)
Dr. John Moran (Poe physician at the time of his death)
J.T.L. Preston (childhood friend, Virginia Military College)
Charles Bauldelaire (French writer and Poe admirer)
Narrator from “The Tell Tale Heart”
Ellen Datlow (science fiction, horror and fantasy editor)
For more information on the funerary events, or to order tickets (free for the vigil and procession, $5 for the viewing, and $35 for the funeral), see this page.
[Edited 13 October 2009 to provide this link to Ellen Datlow’s obituary and to photos of the events.]