Emily Ogden — Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe -With Leon Wieseltier — at Conn Ave
Emily Ogden explores Edgar Allan Poe’s troubled life, enduring influence, and the enduring appeal of darkness in literature and art in a conversation with Leon Wieseltier. Her book examines Poe’s mysterious death, strange disappearances, difficult romances, near-fatal opium use, and the horror and crime genres he helped pioneer, while also tracing the passionate responses of readers and interpreters including Charles Baudelaire, Julio Cortázar, and Marie Bonaparte. Ogden also reflects on her own connection to Poe, which began while teaching an introductory course on him at the University of Virginia.
Ogden is the author of *On Not Knowing: How to Love and Other Essays* and *Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism*. She is a Guggenheim Fellow, Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant recipient, Mellon Fellow, and University of Virginia English professor. Wieseltier, editor of *Liberties* and former literary editor of *The New Republic*, has written on culture, religion, and history, authored *Kaddish* and *Against Identity*, translated Hebrew poetry, and received the 2013 Dan David Prize in the humanities.
When: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Showtimes: 3:00pm
Tickets: Free
Seating: First come, first served.
Featured speakers: Emily Ogden and Leon Wieseltier
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Event book: *Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe* by Emily Ogden
Book price: The hardcover is listed at $30.00.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will try to accommodate requests made up to the event time.
Run time: Not specified.
Ages: Not specified.