Format
1. This program will begin with a biography of Edgar Allan Poe focusing on his life, literature, and legacy
2. This program will explore the rise of the spiritualism in the 19th century as it coincided with the rise of gothic fiction
3. This program will highlight several of Poe's stories that revolve around death or connecting with the dead. These texts include: "Berenice" and "The Premature Burial"
4. This program will highlight Poe's involvement in the spiritualist community, including his relationship with poet and spiritualist Sarah Helen Whitman.
Objectives
Attendees will leave this program with a better understanding of Edgar Allan Poe's gothic literature and it's relevancy to 19th century spiritualism.