January 19 marks the 215th birthday of poet and author Edgar Allan Poe. Poe lived in Philadelphia from 1838 to 1844, when he published his most famous poem, "The Raven." To commemorate the anniversary of Poe’s birth, fellow Philadelphia writer Susan DiPronio will present her one-act play, "Poe-sers" on Saturday, January 18 at 1:00 p.m. in the Fourth Floor Skyline Room at Parkway Central Library.

Susan DiPronio has a broad artistic practice as a poet, filmmaker, playwright, performer, and photographer. They conduct free memoir-writing workshops for women battling illness, adults and children with HIV, LGBTQIA+ elders, those who are unhoused, and trauma victims. Susan lives in Philadelphia where she founded Pink Hanger Presents, dedicated to giving voice to women's unique life experiences. A breast cancer fighter/warrior, Susan has been featured in articles on the struggles of those affected by breast cancer in the LGBT community in Curve, U.S. News and World Report, and Cancer Today. 

Susan has been a lifelong Poe fan after discovering his work as a child in a book of poetry she received as a gift. In 2007, Susan wrote and produced "Poe-sers" for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, which premiered to a sold-out run. The show is semi-autobiographical, weaving excerpts from Poe’s poetry with vignettes from the playwright’s own life. In Susan’s words: 

“'Poe-sers' is a compilation of a woman’s/girl’s personal experiences introduced by the poems of Edgar Allan Poe. It’s about the threads we call time interwoven throughout our lives, always inescapable. It’s about doors and space which we intend to move through, thinking that life is linear — it is not. It is a tapestry created by our personal experiences — and we muddle through it, hoping to survive. A book of poetry centers the 'sleeper' and is the portal to the 'threads' of her life.” 

"Poe-sers" is free and open to the public; no registration is required. 

Check out the works of Edgar Allan Poe with our Literature Department's booklist.