Celebrate Creativity

Send us Fan Mail Episode 208 (Instrument of Death) is the second part of the story Each Man Kills by Victoria Glad - the story develops until the characters are unquestionably involved in the “world of the undead” Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 206 of Celebrate. Poe is part two  of Silent Snow, Secret Snow by Conrad Aiken.  The story is an engaging story of a boy who lives in a world of his own - somewhat similar to many of Poe’s characters.  I must admit that at first I thought the story might be Christmas (or at least winter) themed, but the story gradually builds up to show the hidden world of a very troubled...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 205 of Celebrate. Poe is part one of Silent Snow, Secret Snow by Conrad Aiken.  The story is an engaging story of a boy who lives in a world of his own - somewhat similar to many of Poe’s characters.  I must admit that at first I thought the story might be Christmas (or at least winter) themed, but the story gradually builds up to show the hidden world of a very troubled y...

Send us Fan Mail After too long an absence, George returns to Celebrate Poe with probably the only CHRISTMAS short story about Edgar Allan Poe (or his works.). - The Pit and the Pendulum doesn't count!   A Set of Poe was written by Indiana native, George Ade, and resembles in tone (and plot) O'Henry's classic The Gift of the Magi. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrat...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 203 (The-Tell-Tale Verdict) continues an examination of The Tell-Tale Heart by first looking at an article that Poe wrote concerning a judicial trial he covered as a reporter.  In his coverage of this trial (with information used by kind permission of the American Antiquarian Society) Poe writes about the verdict of “not guilty by reason of insanity.”  And in the second pa...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 202 - A Tell-Tale Confession?  The previous episode of Celebrate Poe dealth with A Madman’s Manuscript as a possible influence on The Tell Tale Heart.  The episode deals with another short story by Dickens also as a possible influence on Poe’s story. Thank you for listening to Celebrate Poe. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate C...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 201 deals with a story by Charles Dickens from The Pickwick Papers by the title of “A Madman’s Manuscript” that is often offered as an influence on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart.  See if you can find some of the many similarities!  (If you need to hear the contents of The Tell-Tale Heart, check out Episode 200.) Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate...

Send us Fan Mail This is episode 200 of Celebrate Poe - kind of a milestone!  This episode deals with the 1843 original version of George’s favorite Poe story - “The Tell Tale Heart,” as well as an AI version of a possible sequel that takes a fascinating twist on the original.  So, join Celebrate Poe for "The Tell-Tale Sequel!" Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creati...

Send us Fan Mail This episode delves into 3 AI versions of “The Raven" with the AI versions using a dove instead of a raven, and the concept of "forevermore" or "evermore" instead of "nevermore" - probably not what Poe intended, but an interesting perspective regarding the structure of the work and how the poem stands up to a complete change in emphasis/meaning....

Send us Fan Mail This episode deals with two long-distance swimmers - Diana Niad and her 121+ mile swim from Cuba to Key West, and a far lesser known (but also impressive) swim by Edgar Allan Poe across the James River for approximately 6 miles (when he was a teenager.)  The episode ends with a conjecture on what Poe might have been from an athletic perspective. Support the show Thank you for expe...

Send us Fan Mail This episode deals with three poems that are especially assocated with Poe and Halloween - including what has been called "the greatest Halloween poem ever written" (and it is NOT "The Raven" Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that at one time, cats were considered divine symbols?  And like women accused of witchcraft, cats were often seen as threats because they were viewed as independent. This episode deals with some of the many superstitions and customs surrounding Halloween. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a continuation of episode 194  - Usher Reimaged.  In this episode, Mr. Poe and I plan to take each episode from Mike Flannagan’s version The Fall of the House of Usher and list some of the Poe references - some may be quite familiar and others rather obscure to all but a diehard Poe scholar. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail This episode deals largely with the connections between the references to Poe characters in Mike Flannagan’s "The Fall of the House of Usher" on Netflix. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail This episode deals with the Netflix series - Painkiller.  The Sackler family has been called “the most evil family in America"- and this episode attempts to explain why.  Painkiller on Netflix is a 6-part series of a real-life Usher family (Usher as in Mike Flannagan’s take on the story.) Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail In advance of Mike Flannagan's reimagining of The Fall of the House of User on Oct. 12, 2023, this episode examines the first film in Roger Corman's Poe Cycle -  House of Usher starring Vincent Price - often considered the best Poe film ever made. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail This episode marks the first part of Poe's original version of The Fall of the House of Usher in preparation for Mike Flannagan's greatly anticipated version of The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix to be released on October 12, 2023. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail This episode marks the second (and final) part of the original Poe version of The Fall of the House of Usher in preparation for Mike Flannagan's greatly anticipated version of The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix - to be released on October 12, 2023. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a reprise of what has been the most downloaded podcast of season 3 - Poe, The Stoned Teenager - a hopefully humorous, but admittedly historically inaccurate part of Celebrate Poe.    Personally, my favorite part of the episode is when the “stoned teenager” persona of Edgar Allan Poe refers to “The Raven” as “The Stairway to Heaven” of poetry! Enjoy the rebroadcast...

Send us Fan Mail This episode continues an examination of possible “reimagings” of some of Poe’s works.  The nature of the murders in the first real detective story is examined, as well as the comparison of the effects of Covid-19 to the unamed disease in The Masque of the Red Death.  Religious intolerance in The Pit and the Pendulum is examaned, as well as revisiting Annabel Lee.  And be sure and...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 187, Celebrate Poe uses ChatGPT to examine what it might be like to reimagine Poe - in this case, looking at the dynamics of “The Fall of the House of Usher.”  One possible reimaging might involve an interior designer as Roderick Usher’s sidekick! How might you open a re-imaging of a film of the House of Usher? What elements might an “interior designer” add to the story...

Send us Fan Mail In “Poe’s Day Off,” the writer discusses what he enjoys when he is NOT writing - the stuff that “clears his head.”  Through ChatGPT, the character of Edgar Allan Poe comments on his wife Virginia, the benefits of a good stroll, and authors of his era, as well as such future writers as Stephen King. 00:00 Intro 00:49 Poe on his “day off” 03:35 Joys of reading 04:43 Chess, cryptogra...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, George talks to AI Poe about the many plans and decisions connected with a “haunted house party.”  Mr. Poe has lots of interesting ideas regarding possible guests, decorations, and food! 00:00 Intro  01:40 Mr. Poe speaks (guest list) 04:03 Mood and decorations for party 07:26 More comments regarding mood and decorations 10:27 Similarities to decor of The Masque of...

Send us Fan Mail This episode - “O Captain” deals with the relationship between Walt Whitman and Peter Doyle.  “O Captain” describes how Walt and Peter met, their histories, and the possible influence of Peter Doyle on some of Whitman’s works - especially O Captain, My Captain.  Peter Doyle was actually present at Lincoln’s murder, and the genesis of the use of “the captain steering a ship/country...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is baed on a very personal letter sent by Bram Stoker (the author of Dracula) to Walt Whitman. Stoker express (in  almost homoerotic) tones his admiration for Whitman - and this episode points out that Walt Whitman has been suggested as a model for Dracula! •Did Poe write any works about vampires or the undead? Explain. •What was Poe;s final complete poem? •What was S...