Poet, literary critic, visionary, inventor of the detective story, master of the macabre-this was Edgar Allan Poe. Recognized as one of the most influential and widely read American authors of the nineteenth century, the writer's work fascinates schoolchildren and scholars alike.

On his two-hundredth birthday, Poe yet lives. His poem, "The Raven," is one of the most memorable in the English language, and his highly original tales, including "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," continue to amaze and terrify.

Celebrating the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe, "From Out That Shadow" is a partnership between the Mary and David Harrison Institute of American History, Literature, and Culture and the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia, and the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Accenting the physical exhibition, this online exhibit offers a peek into the many aspects of Edgar Allan Poe. Please enjoy, and plan to visit the physical exhibit at the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library for the full story. The exhibition is on display at the Harrison Institute from March 7 through August 1, 2009.