4 WCC CAMPUS VOICE - NOV. 18,1992
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By SHARON BLEDSOE
The transformatio'n
of Edgar Allen Poe's
pathetic and grotesque
life into his tales and
poems was the subject
of Dr. Elliot Engel's
September 17th lecture
held at the Wayne
County Library.
The bizarre events
in Poe's life strongly
influenced his works,
leading him to become
the father of the
modern horror tale.
"You must know his
life in order to know
his works," Engel said.
In the informal and
humorous way that makes
him a public favorite,
Engel gave the details
in "The Tortured Genius
of Edgar Allen Poe."
An estimated 200
attended the 7:30 p.m.
lecture sponsored by
the Friends of the
Library.
Engel gave a
slightly shorter
presentation at 4:00
p.m. attended mostly by
high school students.
Engel indicated that
this was his first
after-school lecture.
The agonizing deaths
of the four women Poe
loved influenced his
works most, fostering
his obsession with
’’beautiful, dead
women," Engel said.
As a result, Poe
single-handedly
invented the tale of
terror.
"Without Poe,
Stephen King would not
be writing today,"
Engel said.
He also invented the
format of the modern
short story, where
every sentence must
support a central
theme. Poe's theme
was, of course, terror.
In 1842 Poe came
into contact with
Charles Dickens.
Since Engel's first
literary love has
always been Dickens, he
said he was delighted
to discover the
connection.
Dickens, with the
story of the death of a
beloved pet, inspired
Poe to write "The
Raven."
Engel quoted several
stanzas of "The Raven"
which he said was meant
to be a fairy tale.
When Poe was asked
why he didn't begin
with the standard "Once
Upon a Time" he
replied, "in my
imagination all time is
midnight dreary."
When his young wife
became the fourth woman
he loved to die in
agony, he wrote a poem
about her entitled "To
Virginia."
It was his greatest
work ever, according to
Engel, but critics felt
the title was confusing
because Poe lived in
Virginia.
He changed the name
to "Annabelle Lee"
which he thought was
more poetic.
Through a series of
misfortunes, Poe died
in relative obscurity;
however, his works are
now read by more people
than any other American
author except Mark
Twain.
Engel ended his
lecture with a pitch
for his literary group,
"Dickens Disciples"
which meets on weekends
in Raleigh.
Membership is $12.00
per year and includes a
newsletter.
By SHARON BLEDSOE and
JULIE A. AYCOCK
At a time when
controversy threatens
funding for the arts,
Cynthia Mitchell
manages to bring an air
of self-assurance to
the WCC Visiting Artist
program.
Because of the
National Endowment for
the Arts scandal and
the Basic Education
Plan, which stresses
the "3 R's" but
neglects the extras,
many arts programs have
been dropped from
school curriculums.
WCC and James Sprunt
Community College
share Mitchell because
of budget cuts at both
institutions.
She feels that these
schools should be
applauded for keeping
the program.
Mitchell realizes
she will be challenged
familiarizing herself
with both the Golds
boro and Kenansville
communities but views
the program positively
* and feels she can still
function successfully.
Perhaps this
confidence comes from
her belief in the
"empowerment of the
human voice."
A membership along
with a tape of the
lecture on Poe is
available for $15.00.
All proceeds from
the tape go to the
London Children's
Hospital.
Some of Rosalyn
Lomax's English
students attended the
lecture for extra
credit and were
pleasantly surprised.
"He captured my
attention throughout
the hour," Bonnie Low
said. "It was well
worth the time."
Another student,
Geraldine Brown,
thought he was a
distinctive speaker
"because of his
expression. His humor
kept my interest."
Mitchell believes
that every individual
has a unique voice.
This includes a
speaking voice as well
as people's beliefs,
which define who we
really are as people.
She maintains that
these voices can change
throughout life,
triggering a lifetime
of exploration.
"One can allow
different places of the
voice to be heard,"
Mitchell said.
"Finding these
voices empowers you by
putting you in touch
with your emotions,
opinions, and
feelings . "
People reveal
themselves through
their voices, said
Mitchel1.
Actors needs to find
other, interesting
places in their voices
in order to develop a
character•
Mitchell thinks the
arts should play an
active role in edu
cation. "Art is all
about thinking crea
tively," she said.
Mitchell dislikes
the word "teach,"
preferring "permit."
continued page 5
Dr. Elliot Engel talks to students follo»ing his lecture.
PHOTO; Sharon Bledsoe
Visiting Artist
discusses craft