Baltimore celebrates 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth

It was the perfect way to spend a slightly drizzly Saturday afternoon - immersing myself in Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale of revenge and murder, "The Cask of Amontillado."

I shivered anew as the sinister Montresor lured the unsuspecting Fortuna to his wine cellar on the pretext of tasting an expensive Spanish sherry, only to wall him inside the cellar in retribution for some unspecified insult.

I wasn't comfortably ensconced in an armchair with a Poe anthology on my lap. Instead, I was at Baltimore's Westminster Hall, watching as renowned Poe impersonator David Keltz took us on an afternoon odyssey into the mind and works of the author.

Billed as a "Wine Tasting Among the Bones," it was indeed a gruesomely festive affair. We toured the spooky catacombs beneath the hall (now a museum), greeted the Red Death (making a rare public appearance to spread good will and cheer), and enjoyed a wine tasting, courtesy of an expert who gave us tips on which vintage to serve at our next live entombment.

At the end of the afternoon, I even had a chance to pay my respects to Poe at his grave in the small cemetery on the grounds of Westminster Hall. Poe was buried here along with his wife/cousin, Virginia Clemm, and - in a twist worthy of one of his plots - his mother-in-law.

Other cities might claim Poe - Boston, where he was born; Richmond, Va., where he lived for a time with his guardian after the death of his parents; Charlottesville, Va., where he spent a brief, undistinguished stint at the University of Virginia; New York and Philadelphia, where he toiled in obscurity as a magazine writer - but it is Baltimore that is mostly closely associated with Poe.

Poe is to Baltimore what Tennessee Williams is to New Orleans, Studs Terkel is to Chicago and Dashiell Hammett is to San Francisco.

Don't think Baltimoreans aren't appreciative. For that reason, they are holding a yearlong celebration, Nevermore 2009, marking the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth. Throughout the year, the city will host events ranging from scavenger hunts and art exhibitions to mock trials and candlelight vigils, all in honor of their adopted son.

This is the year when ravens will usurp orioles as Baltimore's favorite bird; those with the last name of Usher will be given keys to the city; black cats will be a symbol of good luck; and oblong boxes and gold bugs will be sold in souvenir shops.

On June 13, Poe fans can return to Westminster Hall - this time not to the atacombs, but to the cemetery for a performance of "The Fall of the House of Usher" among the gravestones.