In all of American literature there’s perhaps no author more associated with Halloween than Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was born in 1809 and died in 1849. During his just 40-year life he penned iconic works of poetry, short stories, as well as literary criticism. Dr. Sami Atassi, Instructional Assistant Professor of English in the Department of Maritime Studies, says this literary giant is deeply misunderstood, in particular that Poe had much to say about science and the universe in addition to death and the macabre.

Original artwork by Tran Nguyen.