Scholar to discuss reading Poe in an age of terror at University of Richmond's annual Peple Lecture Feb. 3

January 26, 2009

J. Gerald Kennedy, a scholar of Edgar Allan Poe and former president of the Poe Studies Association, will speak about "Reading Poe in an Age of Terror" Feb. 3 at the University of Richmond.

Kennedy's presentation is the annual Peple Lecture sponsored by The Friends of Boatwright Memorial Library. It will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Jepson Alumni Center's Robins Pavilion, preceded by a reception at 7 p.m. Both reception and lecture are free and open to the public.

Kennedy is the William A. Read Professor of English and former chair of English at Louisiana State University. He has written numerous books, articles and essays about Poe, including "The Oxford Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe" and "Romancing the Shadow: Poe and Race." He served two terms as president of the Poe Studies Association and appeared in documentaries about Poe on A&E and The Learning Channel. In 2006, he edited "The Portable Edgar Allan Poe," the first updating of the book since the 1940s.

For more information, call (804) 289-8454.