The
Boston Globe ran a
great article recently on Poe's staunch following in South Carolina.
Even though Poe spent less time there then, say, Philadelphia or Baltimore or New York, residents of Sullivan's Island have really embraced Poe as a native son - not even Philadelphia or Baltimore have a "Raven Drive" or "Gold Bug Avenue," let alone an Edgar Allan Poe Public Library! There's also a local legend that an old story from Charleston inspired the plot of "Annabel Lee."
Dr. Scott Peeples, professor at the College of Charleston, spoke about the South Carolina connection recently and it sounds like that the people out there just love and adore Poe. Of course, there are plenty of spots throughout the country that lay a tight claim on Poe. I compare him to the "George Washington slept here" phenomenon - everyone wants a piece of Poe. Has anyone seen any other places like this? There's a spot in Delaware (!!!), for example, that claims to be where Poe wrote "The Raven."
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