"The Raven", Edgar Allan Poe

I don't like horror movies, but I do appreciate Edgar Allan Poe's mysterious and creepy tales - Who doesn't know his tales "Pit and the Pendulum","The Black Cat", "The Fall of the House of Usher" or "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"just to mention a few?
Equally famous is his narrative poem The Raven first published on this day in January 1845 and which granted him almost immediate recognition turning Poe into a national / American celebrity. Yet since his death over 200 years ago this author's work has been adapted into movies, short animated films (eg.1982, "Vincent" you can check here), episodes of the long-running animated series "The Simpsons" (eg. The Treehouse of Horror) to song lyric references (eg. 1957, Frankie Laine's"Annabel Lee"), album covers (eg. 1967 Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" featuring Poe's picture) , illustrations (eg. by French painter Edouard Manet who created illustration for Poe's "The Raven"), you name it! His worldwide recognition was only achieved posthumously but has greatly influenced filmmakers, songwriters and even painters alike.

Poe's Portrait, wikipedia.org

Again you can download a free copy of the iconic poem at Project Gutenberg or click here for an interactive Study Resource of "The Raven" which includes vocabulary and Poe's use of some common literary devices.
For further info on the author and his legacy, visit Bio. as well as Edgar Allan Poe's Museum which "boasts the world's finest collection of Edgar Allan Poe's manuscripts, letters, first editions, memorabilia and personal belongings. The Poe Museum provides a retreat into early nineteenth century Richmond where Poe lived and worked. The museum features the life and career of Edgar Allan Poe by documenting his accomplishments with pictures, relics, and verse, and focusing on his many years in Richmond." There is even a section for teachers and if you enjoy reading Poe as much as I do, go ahead and fill this Educator's Packet Request Form .

In Portuguese, there is also something here.
Hope you find it useful :=)

Read... DRACULA

Today's Google Doodle celebrates Bram Stoker's 165th birthday, the Irish author best known for his vampiric creation, the gothic novel Dracula.
As I have often suggested in former blogposts, one doesn't need to spend money to read - that can only be considered an excuse (and a bad one) once there are different sites where you can get ebooks as these - public domain - legally and freely.
Again and again, Project Gutenberg offers over 40,00 ebooks you can download and here is Dracula, by Bram Stoker: 1. Choose format 2. click on download link 3. Done!!! You can read it any time anywhere.
Another possibility is http://dailylit.com/, a fantastic website I haven't mentioned before, where you can get installments of books and decide HOW, WHEN and WHERE to receive them! You browse books (by title, author, category) or enter search terms. In this case, Dracula is entirely free and has 176 installments - click here to check it and try it out for yourself! Weekend is coming, why not choose to start reading an installment on Saturday evening and another one on Sunday? Register and decide whether to receive these 176 short installments by email or RSS, the days you feel you can / want to read, the time... everything really is in (y)our hands. Have a go and let me know.
Happy Reading :=)