Contact: Tameka Hobbs
Education Coordinator
Library of Virginia
(804) 371-2126
tameka.hobbs@lva.virginia.gov
February 18, 2009
Poe: Man, Myth, and Monster
Young Writers’ Competition
Sponsored by
The Library of Virginia and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum
** Open to high school students **
Edgar Allan Poe was born 200 years ago. While he was not born in Virginia, he spent most of his childhood years here, and often described himself as a Virginian.
Edgar Allan Poe is one of America’s most notable literary figures. His poetry and short stories captured the imagination of his generation and have continued to inspire and intrigue reading audiences around the world. Poe is considered to be the founding father of the detective story with the remarkable success of his story “The Gold Bug,” and a master of horror and science fiction writing. His classic works of lyric poetry, “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee,” are haunting masterpieces that were warmly praised by both European and American readers during his lifetime and remain standards of American literary tradition.
His remarkable success is even more remarkable when one realizes that Poe’s literary career began when he was a teenager. He published his first volume, Tamerlane and Other Poems, in 1827 when he was eighteen, although Poe claimed to have written most of the work by the time he was fourteen.
In observance of the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth, and the exhibition “Poe: Man, Myth, and Monster” featured at the Library of Virginia from July 20, 2009, through December 2009, the Library and the Poe Museum present the “Poe: Man, Myth and Monster” Young Writers’ Contest. High school students are invited to submit their poetry and short stories, written in the veins of the genres Poe mastered—mystery, science fiction, and horror.
Theme
Poetry and short stories representative of the genres that Edgar Allan Poe popularized—mystery, science fiction, or horror.
Awards:
Grand Prize
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for poetry
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for short stories
People’s Choice award for each division, decided by online voting
Prizes:
First Place for Poetry and Short Story—– $100.00 savings bond and filmed reading of winning story or poem on Comcast ON DEMAND Local Features
Second Place for Poetry and Short Story—– $50.00 savings bond and filmed reading of winning story or poem on Comcast ON DEMAND Local Features
Third Place and People’s Choice—– Comcast Prize Pack
Timeline:
**Please circulate**
Poe: Man, Myth, and Monster
Young Writers’ Competition
Sponsored by
The Library of Virginia and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum
** Open to high school students **
Edgar Allan Poe is one of America’s most notable literary figures. His poetry and short stories captured the imagination of his generation and have continued to inspire and intrigue reading audiences around the world. Poe is considered to be the founding father of the detective story with the remarkable success of his story “The Gold Bug,” and a master of horror and science fiction writing. His classic works of lyric poetry, “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee,” are haunting masterpieces that were warmly praised by both European and American readers during his lifetime and remain standards of American literary tradition.
His remarkable success is even more remarkable when one realizes that Poe’s literary career began when he was a teenager. He published his first volume, Tamerlane and Other Poems, in 1827 when he was eighteen, although Poe claimed to have written most of the work by the time he was fourteen.
In observance of the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth, and the exhibition “Poe: Man, Myth, and Monster” featured at the Library of Virginia from July 20, 2009, through December 2009, the Library and the Poe Museum present the “Poe: Man, Myth and Monster” Young Writers’ Contest. High school students are invited to submit their poetry and short stories, written in the veins of the genres Poe mastered—mystery, science fiction, and horror.
Theme
Poetry and short stories representative of the genres that Edgar Allan Poe popularized—mystery, science fiction, or horror.
Awards:
Grand Prize
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for poetry
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for short stories
People’s Choice award for each division, decided by online voting
Prizes:
First Place for Poetry and Short Story—– $100.00 savings bond and filmed reading of winning story or poem on Comcast ON DEMAND Local Features
Second Place for Poetry and Short Story—– $50.00 savings bond and filmed reading of winning story or poem on Comcast ON DEMAND Local Features
Third Place and People’s Choice—– Comcast Prize Pack
Timeline:
May 8, 2009 – Entries due
June 1–12, 2009 – Online voting for People’s Choice Award at www.poe200th.com
July 17, 2009 – Winners announced
For more information about the contest, please contact Tameka B. Hobbs, Program and Education Coordinator, Library of Virginia, at (804)371.2126 or tameka.hobbs@lva.virginia.gov .
May 8, 2009 – Entries due
June 1–12, 2009 – Online voting for People’s Choice Award at www.poe200th.com
July 17, 2009 – Winners announced
