4/20 is approaching! Why is this significant?

Well, I like a nice herbal refreshment as much as the next person, but I’m not simply I’m not referring to Miss Mary Jane.

What I’m talking about is the publication anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”

As a community of readers and writers, I’m sure many of us have respect for Poe, as a poet and author. Though some folks don’t care for Poe because of the “dark” nature of much of his work, I’m sure we can all appreciate the contribution he has made to literature!

So why highlight “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” over some of Poe’s most popular pieces like “The Raven or The Tell-Tale Heart?”

Well, what is particularly noteworthy about “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is that Poe’s tale is credited as being the first-ever detective story, with his character C. Auguste Dupin being the first fictional detective!

Because of Poe’s tale, detective stories gained popularity and eventually evolved into detective novels. To this day, people still love a good mystery! If “Murders” hadn’t been published, we may never have been introduced to the character of Sherlock Holmes years later.

A few words from Wikipedia:

Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

So let’s take a moment this April to acknowledge the work of Edgar Allen Poe. His life was tragic and short, yet he left us with many thrilling tales of mystery and macabre.

To celebrate, I’d like to share a video I stumbled upon while reading some of Poe’s work for a “Fantasy and Science Fiction” course. This hilarious MC Lars track nearly had me in tears, laughing. Writers (poets in particular) will appreciate this rhymin’ and stylin’ Lit-Hop jam!

Where my English majors at?

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Editor: Travis May

Photo: Video still