DOOMSDAY 2023: Baltimore Reads Poe
The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre and Greedy Reads Fells Point Host a 24-Hour Marathon Reading of the Works of Edgar Allan Poe
BALTIMORE, MD, April 13, 2023 -- On May 20, 2023, Baltimore is putting its own spin on the Bloomsday tradition, with the second annual Doomsday, a 24-hour livestreamed reading of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Following last year's first-ever Doomsday event, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre and Greedy Reads bookstore are taking it up a notch with Doomsday 2023, beginning Saturday, May 20, 2023 at noon at the Greedy Reads location in Fells Point in Baltimore City, and ending at noon on Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Doomsday 2023 will feature readings from noted public figures in Baltimore who have each agreed to share their time for the event. Readers who have already committed to the event include Maryland State Delegate Mark Edelson, City Councilmember Zeke Cohen; Dr. Asma Naem, Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art; NPR Book of the Day host Andrew Limbong; Shauntee Daniels of the Baltimore National Heritage Area; Jackie Downs of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts; Enrica Jang, Curator of the Poe House and Museum; Paul Ruppert, CEO of Baltimore Markets; and celebrated Baltimore authors Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead, Jeannie Vanasco, and Sarah Pinsker.
The idea for the marathon Poe reading came to Poe Theatre founder Alex Zavistovich after being invited to an event for Bloomsday, the annual celebration of James Joyce's novel "Ulysses."
"It all came together in my head instantly," said Zavistovich. "Why celebrate an inscrutable work of Irish literature when Baltimore has its own inscrutable literary giant?"
"As soon as I learned about Doomsday, I knew I wanted Greedy Reads to be a part of it," said Julia Fleischaker, owner of the independent bookstore. "The event feels a bit like Baltimore itself: quirky, fun, a little scrappy, with impeccable literary credentials. Plus, it's always fun to gather with the amazing personalities who call Baltimore home, to celebrate our city."
"Viewers of our livestream last year challenged us to top it this year,'" said Zavistovich. "In many ways this is an endurance event. With the help and support of Greedy Reads, this year will be even more fun and a whole lot harder – or at least more challenging."
When Greedy Reads' Fells Point location closes in the evening, several readers/victims will be locked in the store overnight to continue reading, without a break, from the storefront window. The event will move outside again in the morning until noon, Sunday, May 21.
Edgar Allan Poe worked in Baltimore for three years, during which time he authored some of his more notable stories, including "Berenice" and "Shadow – A Parable." His connection to Baltimore is much stronger than that, however, His wife, Virginia Clemm Poe, was born in Baltimore, and his grandfather, the renowned military leader David Poe, was a co-founder of Baltimore's historic First and Franklin Church. Edgar Allan Poe's body is buried on the grounds of Baltimore's Westminster Hall.
The Doomsday 2023 marathon reading is a fundraiser to support the operations of The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre, the only theatre in the world dedicated to bringing Poe's works to life onstage, on the air, and in the classroom in Baltimore and beyond. Partners in Doomsday 2023 include Greedy Reads and Enoch Pratt Free Library.
A Givebutter online campaign has been started to raise money for the Doomsday 2023 reading. Supporters can learn more about the event and make a tax-deductible donation to the cause by clicking this link: https://www.poetheatre.org/doomsday-marathon
Early sponsors have already contributed to the campaign.
The official text for Doomsday 2023 will be The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, published by Vintage Books, a division of Random House. The book is available at the Greedy Reads store or online at https://www.greedyreads.com/item/CxmZ3lNS4q62-97UrFMJJg
ABOUT THE NATIONAL EDGAR ALLAN POE THEATRE
The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre is the only company in the world dedicated to adapting the works of America's grandfather of horror and suspense onstage, on the air, and in the classroom. Throughout the pandemic, theatre produced monthly radio drama adaptations of Poe's stories. The award-winning programs are carried on Amazon Music and National Public Radio, among many other platforms. (https://www.poetheatre.org/poe-theatre-on-the-air)
ABOUT GREEDY READS
Greedy Reads is an independent bookstore with two locations in Baltimore City. Julia Fleischaker opened the original Fells Point location in 2018, following a twenty year career in the publishing industry. The second location, in Remington, opened in late 2019. In 2022, the store received both the Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice Awards for Best Bookstore by Baltimore Magazine.
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Alex ZavistovichThe National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre
Baltimore, MD
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