With his tales of horror, detective fiction, and love poetry, Edgar Allan Poe left a lasting mark on a young, restless, and rapidly changing America. He lived a life as chaotic and enigmatic as his works, moving from city to city, haunted by loss and despair, driven by ambition. Join us in Poe’s strange world to understand how America shaped this genius—and how he, in turn, shaped us.

***

The full schedule, topics, and speaker information are listed below.

Friday, February 20, 2026, 7:00 PM MSK:  Love and Horror: Poe’s Gothic Impulse

Speaker: Dr. Amy Branam Armiento is a professor in the English Department at Frostburg State University in Maryland. She specializes in 19th century literature of the US and Great Britain and teaches courses on romanticism, women and literature, and literary theory. Renowned as one of the country’s top experts on Edgar Allan Poe, she is on the executive committee of the Poe Studies Association and a board member of the Poe Baltimore cultural foundation and museum.

Friday, February 27, 2026, 7:00 MSK:  Back and Forth: Poe’s Roots in North and South

Speaker: Dr. Scott Peeples teaches American literature, gothic literature and 19th-century American poetry at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. He is well-known for his research and courses on Edgar Allan Poe. His books include  The Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe  (2004),  The Man of the Crowd: Edgar Allan Poe and the City  (2020), and the forthcoming  How Many Roads: A Life of Bob Dylan  (2026). He is a past president of the Poe Studies Association and the Southeastern American Studies Association.

Friday, March 13, 2026, 7:00 PM MSK:  American Ambition: Poe’s Quest for Greatness

Speaker: Dr. John Gruesser is Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Professor of English at Kean University in New Jersey. He has written several books and articles on Poe, including his 2019 award-winning “Edgar Allan Poe and His 19th Century American Counterparts.” In 2023, he organized and coedited a special issue of the Edgar Allan Poe Review, “African American Writers Respond to Poe.” He is a former president of the Poe Studies Association. 

Friday, March 20, 2026, 7:00 PM MSK:  Mystery in Baltimore: Poe’s Unexplained Death

Speaker: Enrica Jang is Director of Poe Baltimore, the cultural foundation that maintains the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. She is also a graphic novel writer whose first work was a sequel to Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado. She founded Red Stylo Media where she continues to write and publish other graphic novelists. Enrica directs the annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards to celebrate artists around the world who are inspired by Poe. She holds a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley in English Literature and a Master of Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art & Design.  

About the moderator and series curator, Michael Beckelhimer: 

Michael Beckelhimer is a graduate of Russian studies programs at American University and Harvard. He lived in Moscow and Tallinn before, during, and after the fall of the Soviet Union, and traveled there often to shoot his documentary film “Pushkin Is Our Everything.” He lives in Alexandria, VA, where he is working on a documentary film about Russia’s relationship with the US.

***

ALL AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE

***

To watch this event live, tune in to the American Center in Moscow’s YouTube channel and VK page. You can also watch the recordings of these events on the same platforms after the event’s end.

You can register below and leave your valid email address to receive a reminder 30 minutes before the online event begins.

To join other AMC Online programs, please check the American Center’s website and TimePad calendars.