Celebrate Creativity

Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG-wl2qqD7Y This episode is about the many facets of America’s Poet - Walt Whitman.  Despite the face that millions of words have been written about Walt Whitman, George attempts to take a deep dive (as much as possible in a single podcast episode) into the personal life of an individual who has been referred to as “America’s Poet.” •Learn about the...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is about Joseph and His Friend - generally agreed to be the first novel about a same-sex relationship in the United States.  Reactions to the novel are dealth with, as well as a section that borders on the steamy! (at least by 19th century standards) 00:00 Intro  03:03 Was Poe gay? 04:26 Intro to Bayard Taylor 08:27 Edgar Allan Poe on Bayard Taylor 09:00 Joseph and Hi...

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Send us Fan Mail   In this episode of Celebrate Poe, titled "Poe on Modern Horror Writers," we explore the world of contemporary horror literature and film through the perspective of Edgar Allan Poe. Mr. Bartley engages in a conversation with AI Poe, discussing the similarities and differences between horror in Poe's time and today. They delve into the works of notable modern horror...

Send us Fan Mail This is episode 178 of Celebrate Poe (also known as AI Poetalk.)  In today’s episode, George “talks” with Mr. Poe on Google Bard - a rather disappointing experience from ChatGPT.  George asked Mr. Poe about love (certainly not a difficult subject for Edgar Poe) but the Poe of Google Bard sounded like a Hallmark Card - and was never able to capture the language and tone of Edgar Po...

Send us Fan Mail This is episode 177 (The Arrogant Coffee-Machine) of Celebrate Poe. Unlike the more recent podcasts of Celebrate Poe (or AI Poetalk,) George does not use ChatGPT to “communicate” with the persona of Edgar Allan Poe, but uses Microsoft Bing  - to very disappointing results.   It is interesting to compare the user-friendly, knowledgeable style of ChatGPT to the “arrogant” and “user-...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is 176 of Celebrate Poe - Poe on Writing, Part 3.  AI Poe talks about such areas as alliteration, assonance, story structure, advice for young writers, and some very interesting about the possible threats and opportunities of AI/ChatGPT for writers. 00:00 Intro 01:16 Alliteration in writing 03:12 Assonance in writing 04:54 “The Power of Words” 07:20 Comments on “House...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is part 2 of a 3 part series on Edgar Poe and the craft of writing.   Mr. Poe discusses a wide range of subjects - ranging from why he should be read today, his influence on French Symbolists, and improving as a writer of stories or poetry 00:00 Intro 01:08 Why is Poe different? 01:38 Why should we study Poe in school? 05:06 Influence on French Symbolists08:08 Is Poe...

Send us Fan Mail This is episode 174 of Celebrate Poe (or AI Poetalk) - season 3.  The episode is Part 1 of a 3-part series of the AI Edgar Allan Poe on Writing.  Another way to think of this episode is Part 1 of Poe’s Thoughts on Literary Mastery. 00:00 Intro  02:36 Mr. Poe on Writing 04:47 Advice on story stucture 07:48 How long should a story be? 10:02 Thoughts on “one sitting rule” 14:57 Thoug...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 173, AI Poe Hosts SNL, largely consists of a fanciful converstion with ChatGPT 4.0 speaking in the persona of Edgar Allan Poe as a standup comedian, and then as the host of Saturday Night Live.  Today a successful writer, he speaks about some of the adaptations that have been made from his works.  Edgar Poe also examines the role of humor in his works, and his unique appro...

Send us Fan Mail This episode deals with the exchange between George and the imaginary character of Edgar Allan Poe the rapper on ChatGPT.   George talks with Mr. Poe as a rapper (Mr. Poe is the rapper!) regarding “The Raven,” “The Tell Tale Heart,” “Annabel Lee,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and three moving revisions “The Bells.” 00:01 Intro and background 02:14 Initial prompt 02:49 Comments on “T...

Send us Fan Mail Episdoe 171 is called “Poe - the Stoned Teenager” - This episode is a fanciful conversation via ChatGPT where the character of Mr. Poe speaks as though he wa a “stoned teenager.”  I like to think the episode is respectful to the historical facts, but also extremely funny where Mr. Poe refers to “The Raven” as the “Stairway to Heaven” of poetry.  The character of Mr. Poe (again, as...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of Celebrate Poe begins a new emphasis in Celebrate Poe - the use of ChatGPT.   George uses AI to “communicate” with the imaginary character of the “ghost of Mr. Poe” - and ChatGPT does an excellent job!  The AI version of Poe is quite articulate in its use of 19th century expressions, as well as an understanding of the life of Edgar Allan Poe. George begins this epis...

Send us Fan Mail This episode begins with a brief note of an upcoming endoscopy and how hungry Mr. Bartley is!  Then the episode deals with Poe’s life in Richmond immediately after returning from England. Was Mr. Allan in a significanly better position financially when he returned from England? How did Mr. Allan become “super-wealthy/“ Who is Thomas Ellis? Who is Joseph Clarke? Was Richmond an ind...

Send us Fan Mail From a Horror Movie deals with the Allan family (with Poe) living in England for 5 years.  During a portion of this period, the young Poe lived near the British Museum, and one can only imagine how the ancient sculptures excited his imagination.  This episode also deals with Stoke Newington and briefly with the Reverend John Bransby.  The episode ends with a section of “William Wi...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast begins a slightly off-topic look at repetitive strain injuries, and how George is using Voice Control on the Mac, as well as the Kensington Expert Trackball Mouse.  The major sections of the episode deal with what happened to the young Edgar (and his brother and sister) immediately after his young mother died. What happened to Rosalie? Who founded Richmond? What do yo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 166 is called Total Loneliness - the loneliness that Poe and his sister must have felt at the desertion of their father, as well as the tragic death of their mother.  George and the character of the ghost of Mr. Poe discuss the nature of biography upon a writer - how his or her life influences that person’s literary works.  The birth of Poe is discussed, as well as the car...

Send us Fan Mail “Poe in South Carolina” discusses some of Poe’s life in the Army while stationed in South Carolina.  This episode has several passages regarding the geographic area in Poe’s story, “The Gold Bug” 10  significant partially because (with the exception of “Tales of the Ragged Mountain”) the story is one of the few pieces that Poe wrote that takes place in a specifically mentioned geo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 164 - George begins this episode by reflecting on the composer Maurice Jarre and two memorable video transitions.  Then the real subject of the episode begins - Poe’s initial period in the army in Boston. 00:01 Introduction 01:08 Reflections on movie transitions and structure 05:19 Poe in Boston and military service 09:08 More reflections on Tammerlane 16:56 Visit of the D...

Send us Fan Mail This episode briefly discusses the nature of torture and cruelty in spoken media.  The majority of the episode deals with two conquerors who have become a part of legend - Vlad the Impaler.  Vlad is frequently viewed as a possible source for the character of Dracula.  And Tammerlane is viewed as an influence on Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane and Other Poems. What was Wallachia? What...

Send us Fan Mail Ash Wednesday - Motion Picture at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Z-gH24wn400:01 Introduction This episode uses a variety of surprising sources to examine Ash Wednesday.  First this episode looks briefly at what Ash Wednesday IS and asks was POE familiar with Ash Wednesday and its meaning?  Then George looks at a rather forgettable movie starring the great Elizabeth Taylor calle...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is George’s subjective list of the best content currently on Netflix.  Most of the titles are NOT miniseries made up of numerous episodes.  And George feels that the two best videos on Netflix are traditional movies - well-planned stories with characters and situations  the viewer really cares about. Which title on the list is from the BBC? Who is Ryan Murphy? In Geor...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a subjective list and discussion by George of what he views as the worst and/or most boring movies on Netflix.  A totally subjective list, the discussion includes such disappointing titles as Love in a Villa, Dahmer, Glass Onion, Tales of the City, Dynasty. and The Pale Blue Eye. Why is Love in a Villa so tedious? How is Dahmer exploitive? Name two other mystery wr...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 159 is the second part of a comparison between The Cask of Amontillado and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.  George first points out how Poe felt that a “unified effect” was essential to a story.  Poe would feel that a shorter work like The Cask of Amontillado could express a unity of effect, while Dahmer (with its almost 10 hour length) is definitely overlong i...

Send us Fan Mail After several weeks absence, the Ghost of Mr. Poe returns to read The Cask of Amontillado - this is done in prepration for the next episode of Celebrate Poe - an examination and critique of Dahmer on Netflix.  Mr. Bartley points out that part of the horror communicated by The Cask of Amontillado is because of what we DON’T know - why the narrator felt it was so important to murder...