Evans Library embraced the Gothic style of Edgar Allen Poe on Nov. 1 for the most recent Reel Reads event, “Poe’s Spooktacular Tales: From Page to Scream.”
Reel Reads is a literature and film series hosted by Florida Tech’s School of Arts and Communication.
Poe established himself as a notable writer and editor in the mid-19th century, according to the Academy of American Poets.
“It’s a great tie-in to do it around Halloween,” said Debbie Lelekis, an English professor at Florida Tech. “Edgar Allen Poe was a natural selection for that.”
He was also prolific in the Gothic horror genre. Lelekis, along with fellow English professors Melissa Crofton and Angela Tenga, presented an analysis of Poe’s works and their modern adaptations.
During the analysis, Crofton explained that Poe’s works often resonates with her students.
The professors then opened the floor for audience members to speak about their personal interest in Poe’s work or how they discovered him.
“He exposes us for what humans fear,” Lelekis said regarding the value of Poe’s works. “We can make connections to our own lives.”
Poe’s presence in modern pop culture was a focus of the panel.
Clips were shown of Netflix’s “Altered Carbon,” a series that features an artificially intelligent character modeled after Poe.
A trailer for “The Raven,” a 2012 film where Poe is portrayed by John Cusack, was also shown.
In the film, Poe must work to prevent a serial killer from recreating the deaths from his literary works.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is one of those works, a story of one man taking fatal revenge on a friend he believes has wronged him.
Cheryl Davis, Evans Library’s distance learning librarian, took to the podium twice to read excerpts from “The Cask of Amontillado.”
Victoria Smith, Evans’ resource sharing specialist, gave a reading of “The Raven.”
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,” she began the poetry reading in a resonant tone.
In pop culture, many of the details of Poe’s personal life are disputed, leaving many aspects of his biography unclear.
“I think most of his stories intrigue people partly because of [that] mystery surrounding Poe himself,” Lelekis said.
She said that his works help people to examine human nature.
“It helps us understand ourselves better, which is something everyone needs to do no matter what your major is or what your career path is,” Lelekis said.
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