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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone this season! Today, in honor of the spirit of Christmas, the compassion for and connection to our fellow human beings, let’s dive into a circular letter by Robert Frost. This letter expresses Frost’s disdain for the overt commercialization of the world, buying up any and all beautiful things to sell them off for a profit. The antagonist of this poem is one who sees no wrong in taking what’s not his, offering little compensation, then stealing away to make a profit on his scheme. Its poignant message rings especially loud this year…

I decided to keep the music for this episode relatively simple: just one piano plucking away at a sparse melody. I drew upon the tunes I remember loving as a child, like the soundtracks to The Polar Express and Elf. I hope it brings you the same feeling of warmth that helps in this winter cold as it did me.

This podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Lovecraftian lore, Gothic fiction, poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains DOLLS and PARENT LOSING TRACK OF A CHILD.

This Victorian ghost story is the first ever to feature the haunted doll. Although it may be a modern horror trope present in many movies, TV shows and stories nowadays, this tale shows just how new the idea of creepy dolls was. Dolls gaining the innovation of sound was a completely new feature at the time of this story’s publication, and F. Marion Crawford obviously knew the potential for what a creepy story he could tell with them. This scary story of a haunted doll stalking a worried father is sometimes terrifying, sometimes heartbreaking, and all the time spooky. Please enjoy The Doll’s Ghost from 1896.

Composing the music for this episode became much more heart wrenching than I thought could be possible. It was quite difficult for me, emotionally. This score has now become so integral to how I interpret this story that I cannot read it without hearing the music - nor hear the music without growing emotional at remembering Mr. Puckler's fear of losing his child (and the fear of being lost as a child). Experimenting with ways to replay the same melody, shaping it from a child's perspective, graduating to a parent's perspective, then perverting it with the fear of the ghost, was an exhilarating challenge.

This podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Lovecraftian lore, Gothic fiction, poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

Grandfather Clock Sound Effect on Pixabay:

Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay

Thunder:

Sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay

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In this episode, we dive into a poem that speaks to Edgar Allan Poe’s wit with hidden meanings and symbolism, simply writhing with rich metaphor and a deeper message. The poetry of Edgar Allan Poe is celebrated as some of the greatest quality in the world. Let's see if this poem measures up to the expectation...

Variations & History of The Valley of Unrest:

https://www.eapoe.org/works/mabbott/tom1p049.htm

This podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Lovecraftian lore, Gothic fiction, poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains MENTION OF SUICIDE, MENTION OF SUICIDE BY DROWNING and GHOSTS

A gesture of love? A reflection of tragedy? A reminder of sin? An unbreakable chain of guilt? The Cold Embrace will ask you to give meaning to the cold fingers that reach out for their disloyal companion.

Published in 1860, yet resonant with betrayed lovers everywhere and through all time, Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s masterful short story on the heart breaking tragedy of a fair maiden and the vengeful grip from the grave dragging the villain to his doom will surely give you a fright to remember.

As I composed the music for this episode, I felt it needed to be reminiscent of the lost maiden Gertrude, but also express the gaiety of the story’s villain and his attempt at moving along from the tragedy without paying the required justice. I also took some inspiration from one of my favorite composers of all time, Ludwig Van Beethoven.

This podcast is great for educators, teachers, students and schools looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Lovecraftian lore, Gothic fiction, poetry, short stories, and timeless classic scary stories.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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TRIGGER WARNING: this episode includes FIREARM SFX, DEMONS, and SWEARING.

Eric Miller is a very well accomplished and awarded writer, having credits for a number of Hollywood movies, short stories, anthologies and the novel we will hear an excerpt from today: Whatever Happened to Uncle Ed?

Featured on this epsiode will be an action scene from the beginning of Whatever Happened... as well as an interview with the author himself. It was such a pleasure to be able to talk with Eric about so many topics, and I hope you will give his book a read.

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened-Uncle-Eric-Miller/dp/B0DTF5LVHW

Are you an author who'd like to hear their story on The Poe Show? Email [email protected] with details.

YouTube CORN SFX CREDIT:

Copyright Free Sound Effects and Music Downloads, Calming Nature Sound, Sound Library

This podcast is a great resource for educators, teachers, students and schools looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Gothic fiction, poetry, short stories, and timeless classic scary stories. And for any indie authors who'd like to hear their story featured on the podcast as well, feel free to send an email.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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TRIGGER WARNING: this episode contains SUGGESTION OF GORE and TEETH BODY HORROR.

Today we immerse ourselves in the unsettling short story by Edgar Allan Poe that will have your teeth chattering. A tale of insanity, monomania and obsession that leads one to their own torturous realization of their evil deeds.

The melancholy narrative of Berenice.

This story is one of Edgar Allan Poe's spookiest in my opinion, as well as one of his most difficult to get through if you're not a fan of the Victorian era writing style. Take your time, replay the episode as many times as you want to. It took me more times re-reading this story than I'd like to admit in order to understand it completely, but it resulted in a fantastic auditory experience!

This podcast is great for educators, teachers, students and schools looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Gothic fiction, poetry, short stories, and timeless classic scary stories.

Thanks to freesound_community on Pixabay for the Grandfather clock sound effect!

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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In this episode we examine the gripping subject of the irreversible effects of war on the world, the political divide and and our identities intertwined with it, presented in Rebirth: 1914–1918 by Rudyard Kipling.

If you’ve never heard of the word “disillusionment,” then be prepared to learn about it, for there are fewer ideas more disheartening to the matured mind than the desire to return to days gone by.

But those who longingly dream of the past should eventually realize the sobering truth: we created now, and if we are dissatisfied, we have only ourselves to blame.

We were what we were.

Perfect for classrooms, educators, teachers, history buffs and those who love war poetry or classical literature.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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Today we experience a terrifying descent into the madness of H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror. In this immersive horror podcast episode, I bring to life Lovecraft’s most sinister of the Eldritch gods, a harbinger of chaos, the great and mysterious Nyarlathotep.

Perfect for fans of gothic horror, eldritch terror, and weird fiction, this episode captures the essence of the Crawling Chaos, Nyarlathotep. With an immersive soundscape, professional voice acting, and eerie atmospheric music, you'll feel like you're living the nightmare.

Subscribe, give this podcast a good rating, and share with others who fascinate themselves with the Eldritch horror of H.P. Lovecraft.

Ideal for listeners who love:

• H.P. Lovecraft stories
• The Call of Cthulhu Mythos
• Theatrical horror podcasts
• Gothic horror fiction
• Creepy audio dramas
• Classic horror literature
• Supernatural suspense
• Dark ambient storytelling

Photo Attribution

Unsplash.com: Mariusz Slonski, Isabella Drasovean, Neil Rosenstech, Nathan Dumlao,  Krzysztof Hepner,  JOHN BEARBY IMAGES,  Aimee Zaugg,  Kevin Brunet

Pixabay.com : Marconi N. Mare

Pexels.com:  Balaji Srinivasan, Frencesco Ungaro, Rok Romih, Vitor Gusmão Shimabukuro, cottonbro studio, James Superschoolnews, Bob Price

Sideways, a great YouTube channel about music:

https://www.youtube.com/@Sideways440

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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Although I expected a haunting contemplation of death and its eerie silence, and despite my supposed I would read here a meditation on the Gothic horror of decay, I had all such suppositions overturned. Initially it seemed this poem was a question of whether life would be beautiful if there were to be no eternal sleep. Now I see it more in its true light: as a celebration of devoted love and the peace we can come to when confronted with death, an astonishment at the pulchritudinous state of a woman who has passed. All of these and more are the focus of today’s episode - the dark, dream-like poetry of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Sleeper.

Join me as I tell and explore one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most romantic poems, and how it traverses with subtle Gothic beauty the mourning of a lost loved one.

Teachers, students, horror literature fans, Halloween lovers, and Poe enthusiasts like myself…let’s dive right in.

Subscribe, like, share and give the podcast a great review!

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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Is this tale one of the most haunting stories Edgar Allan Poe has ever written?

In this episode, we will step into the chilling catacombs of The Cask of Amontillado, a pinnacle of Gothic horror crafted by the master of literary suspense: Edgar Allan Poe.

Whether you're a literature lover, horror enthusiast, or Poe fanatic like myself, this episode offers a compelling analysis of key themes like revenge, betrayal and irony, the historical context in Edgar Allan Poe's life, and hidden meanings in Poe’s masterful tale of twisted justice. He wrote more than dark fiction, he put psychological horror from pen to paper.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote The Cask of Amontillado in 1846 in Godey’s Lady’s Book, and it is a chilling narrative of the most sinister kind of revenge. This gothic tale reflects themes from The Black Cat, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Premature Burial and many more of Edgar Allan Poe’s similar works. In The Black Cat, a cat is hidden behind a wall built back up brick by brick. In The Pit and the Pendulum, the agony of slow torture tears apart the mind of the protagonist. The scary story of being buried alive is also featured in The Premature Burial, the most recent creepy story featured on this podcast. If you’re looking for a spooky short story to listen to during the silent night, hoping to gain some fearful terror and delightful frights, then please enjoy The Cask of Amontillado.

Perfect for students, teachers, book clubs, those who love Halloween stories and true crime fans who enjoy the macabre brilliance of Edgar Allan Poe. So please share with others! Subscribe, like, follow and send it to a friend!

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

Audible source on AI announcement:

https://www.audible.com/about/newsroom/audible-expands-catalog-with-ai-narration-and-translation-for-publishers

SFX ATTRIBUTION:

DOBCommunications, on Pixabay - Catholic Church Sound Effect

The Audio Horizon SFX on YouTube - Medieval Village sound effect

ZAPSPLAT - jester hat with bells on sound effects: https://www.zapsplat.com/music/jeter-hat-with-bells-on-movements-jingle-version-1/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

GFX Sounds on YouTube - Burning Torch sound effect

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