Edgar Allan Poe to Visit Local Library

You have to admit that there is any number of oddities in Westchester. Some of them can easily be explained while others leave you scratching your head in wonder. Such is the case with an annual appearance in Larchmont by the long-deceased Edgar Allan Poe. Apparently, the spirit of the dead author finds humor in taking up temporary residence each year in Reference Librarian, Frank Connelly’s head.

To become a part of this Halloween tradition, come to the Larchmont Public Library on Monday, October 30 at 7:00pm, and tell them you’re looking for Mr. Poe.

It should be noted that the real Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849 and that the Larchmont Public Library is not in the business of raising the dead. Regardless of what people might believe in this age of things like “fake” news, raisIng up dead people is not a new service being offered by the library. However, this Halloween you’ll swear that the man himself has returned from the grave to once again scare the wits out of folks by reading his most famous – or should we say infamous – works in the 91-year-old library.

Frank Connelly, a Reference Librarian at the Larchmont Public Library, will again channel the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe through a very public performance of Poe’s works that is set to include The Cask of Amontillado, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Connelly will once again don his frock coat and become the conduit for one of the most famous writers of the macabre the world has ever known. With just a bit of luck, and if Poe’s spirit is in a good mood, Connelly’s mind, body and perhaps even his soul, will be temporarily the playground for the long deceased author. This is a spectacle not to be missed and one that won’t soon be forgotten.

How is this possible, you ask? There are many uncanny oddities between Edgar Allan Poe and Frank Connelly that defy logic and understanding yet conspire to create a spectacle quite unlike anything else you are likely to see on Halloween.

Consider that Poe was born in Boston. Connelly wears Bostonian footwear. Poe wrote what most consider mystery novels and many who know Connelly consider him something of a mystery. During his lifetime, Poe was primarily considered a literary critic. Connelly has frequently been critical. In 1841, Poe launched the new genre of detective fiction with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Connelly has never needed the services of a detective. For a short while Poe attended West Point. Reportedly, Connelly lived West of West Point. Poe was born the same year as Abraham Lincoln. Connelly was not.

These are the stuff of mystery that should serve to beckon everyone to come do something this Halloween season that is truly unique. There is no other place in the whole of Westchester County that will present such a performance for Halloween. Frank Connelly as Edgar Allan Poe is simply not to be missed.

For additional information about this or any other program presented at the Larchmont Public Library, visit the library online at www.larchmontlibrary.org.