Poe No-Show

There's a real mystery afoot in Baltimore this week. For the past 60 years, a mysterious figure has visited the grave of Edgar Allan Poe on January 20, his birthday, leaving three roses and a half-full bottle of cognac. 

This year, no one came.

According to the Washington Post, the Baltimore Evening Sun first reported on the mysterious offerings in 1949.  The tradition has continued since then, with the identity of the stranger the subject of intense speculation on the part of Poe fans.  One "suspect" mentioned fairly recently is Baltimore poet/performance artist David Franks, who, according to the Post, "once photocopied his private parts on a Xerox machine at a Social Security office and put the images on display. Decades ago, he posed as a disabled poet in a wheelchair, solicited donations from the crowd, then thanked everyone and got up and walked away."

I couldn't make that up if I tried!

Franks died last week at age 60. If he was the mysterious visitor, his death would explain the no-show on Poe's birthday Tuesday.

I guess we'll have to wait for a year to learn if the tradition was merely interrupted this year, or if Poe's birthday will be celebrated (wait for it!) nevermore.