Sacramento Public Library discussion

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
---Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

October is our favorite time of year. Not only is there all the beauty of fall and the fun of Halloween, but there is also One Book Sacramento to celebrate all month long! This month our book is The Slender Poe an anthology of the works of Edgar Allan Poe with introduction and commentary John Allen Cann. Copies are available for check out at the library and for purchase via this link https://www.saclibrarycatalog.org/iii... You can also pick up any collection of works by Edgar Allan Poe and join in the fun. No matter how you do it, we want you to get your POE on this month!
So this month our reading challenge is to read at least some of the collected works of Poe. If you want to branch out further and read some other works of classic suspense or horror as well we’d love to hear about it. As always we’re giving away an advance copy of a book for those who want to read along. Just leave a comment below to participate.

PS: Want to discuss what you have read? Have other Poe related fun? Check our website for One Book Sacramento book discussions and events at library branches all around the Sacramento area during October.

I attempted both on my iPad and on my laptop to purchase the Poe anthology from the link provided and was unable to do so. I kept getting a message to enter an accurate donation amount even though I'd entered $20 (and $20.00). Can this anthology be purchased at the Carmichael library?

Got my copy of the Slender Poe a few days ago, so I'll be cracking the covers soon.

A bit of Poe trivia:

The Spongebob Squarepants episode "Squeaky Boots" is a takeoff on Poe's "A Tell-Tale Heart." Instead of the old man with his weird eye making the landlord insane, it's Spongebob's squeaky boots that drive Mr. Krabs mad.

Francie wrote: "I attempted both on my iPad and on my laptop to purchase the Poe anthology from the link provided and was unable to do so. I kept getting a message to enter an accurate donation amount even though..."

Francie,
I am sorry to hear that you are having difficulties. I have asked about your issue and hope to have an official response soon. Did you try putting in a donation amount that did not include the $ symbol? That might be the problem.
Unfortunately purchases are only through the website, but you can go to any branch and library staff can help you with the form.

Good Luck!

I read Poe when I was a young girl and I wait for every October when AMC does their horror month to get my Poe fix of horror movies. They do the "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" and sometimes "Murder in the Rue Morgue." Of course, the great Vincent Price always played the lead character and other TV shows have adopted or adapted various elements from Poe stories to illustrate the horror or criminal element. I was not impressed with the latest Poe movie starring John Cusack "The Raven." I understand there is another movie that will be released 10/13 called "The Tell-Tale Heart."
I am glad that we (Sacramento) are recognizing Poe as a great American writer. I hope that I can attend the dinner (in costume) later this month. I like the character Lenore as she is modeled on his cousin and child bride.
TCM is doing a homage to Vincent Price, every Thursday in October and they are including his Poe films. Be sure to watch, and then read the books by yourself, if you dare!

Francie wrote: "I attempted both on my iPad and on my laptop to purchase the Poe anthology from the link provided and was unable to do so. I kept getting a message to enter an accurate donation amount even though..."

Hi Francie,
My suggestion would be to try purchasing the book through Internet Explorer and type in just "20" or "20.00". sometimes other browsers do not work well with purchase forms. Please let me know if you still have problems and I will look into it further.

If you are up for reading Edgar Allan Poe in a different sort of format, I just found out the interactive and illustrated Edgar Allan Poe app (iPoe) is currently free in the iTunes store!

http://t.co/jdzhpc4byf

I downloaded the app, and it's very cool, but wasn't free. It charged me $3.99, which was immediately deducted from my bank account.

Leslie wrote: "I downloaded the app, and it's very cool, but wasn't free. It charged me $3.99, which was immediately deducted from my bank account."

Oh no!
Well, the app WAS free, briefly.
Glad to hear that it is cool, though.

Good news re: the Poe App
It turned out to be free after all. They did charge my account $3.99, but I noticed this morning that the charge has disappeared.
So , I guess they post the regular cost of the App, and then eventually reverse it. :)

Annemarie wrote: "I read Poe when I was a young girl and I wait for every October when AMC does their horror month to get my Poe fix of horror movies. They do the "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" and..."

Thanks for the AMC info... I will watch this coming week...

I need to read some Poe to get in the Halloween mood. I think I might have something in my pile of books to read :)

I really like the collection of stories and poems in the "Slender Poe," because it features gems that get overlooked in other Poe anthologies. "The Oval Portrait" is a deliciously creepy tale of obsession and madness in the vein of "A Tell-Tale Heart."

I listened to "The Fall of the House of Usher/The Pit & the Pendulum/Other Tales of Mystery & Imagination (Classic Fiction)" read by William Roberts. I grew up listening to Poe, so for me, listening to someone narrate is the only way to "read" Poe.

I think "The Raven" has to be my favorite. The poetry is pleasing to my ear. But "The Tell-Tale Heart" takes the crazy award.

Sarah wrote: "I listened to "The Fall of the House of Usher/The Pit & the Pendulum/Other Tales of Mystery & Imagination (Classic Fiction)" read by William Roberts. I grew up listening to Poe, so for me, listenin..."

Agreed, Poe on audio is absolutely wonderful. Something about it just cries out to be read aloud. Something equally fun are the older animated versions of his stories. I just came across this delighful 1953 film of The Tell Tale Heart this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8...

I've been reading The Slender Poe for the last couple of days and, though I have read Poe in the past, hadn't really realized the breadth and depth of his writing until now. Many of these stories are new to me, but in re-reading some, like Hop Frog, I was able to move past the the surface read and see the skill with which the story was constructed. It's been a great experience.

John Allen Cann, the editor of The Slender Poe, spoke at our book discussion today and talked about selecting the stories for the anthology. The intent was to present a Poe that was unusual, not the classic Poe of horror, though there are certainly horror stories in there. He also noted that the best way to really experience this collection is to get two people together and read in alternating voices where appropriate such as the dialogues or some of the poems. He agrees with what Sarah mentioned earlier, the experience of listening to Poe is like no other and recommends this audio edition, narrated by Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone in particular:

http://find.saclibrarycatalog.org/iii...

This is it! It's Halloween, the final day of October and your last chance to comment to win a copy of an advance copy of an upcoming book. So...what spooky stories, by Poe or otherwise, are you reading today?

I am reading anything Joe Hill or Stephen King :) They scare me

I read Neil Gaimon's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," and while not a horror story, its mysteries make it a wonderful October read.

Congratulations to Leslie who is our winner this month! She checked out Poe both on the page and in an app. Leslie, let us know what branch we should send your prize to :-)