In Conversation With The Rosenbach at the Laurel Hill Cemetery: Edward G. Pettit [OFF-SITE]

Click here to register for this lecture at the Laurel Hill Cemetery.

“Philadelphia Gothic: the Crucible of American Horror” at Laurel Hill Cemetery

Philadelphia was more than just the birthplace of American democracy and independence. From the country’s inception, writers from this city were just as interested in the nightmares inherent in our revolutionary society. While Early Republic Philadelphia was a city of high culture in the arts, sciences, publishing and government, inside the cradle of liberty lurked a darkness and it found its expression in Philadelphia Gothic. In his novels, Charles Brockden Brown rose as the first significant practitioner of this new take on the traditional European Gothic. Across the decades of the ante-bellum period, as Philadelphia became of city of continuing violence and unrest, authors George Lippard and Edgar Allan Poe explored the monsters beneath the surface of William Penn’s Holy Experiment. This fascinating look at how these early Philadelphian authors imagined our collective nightmares will be followed by a cemetery tour that features some of the authors and associates of the tradition of Philadelphia Gothic.

About the Speaker

Edward G. Pettit is the Philly Poe Guy and his work on Poe has garnered national attention and resulted in several Poe-themed events, from literary debates to full-scale dramatic productions, and has been featured on television, radio and in print, including the New York Times. Pettit is the Sunstein Manager of Public Programs at The Rosenbach where he is teaching a course on Philadelphia Gothic in Spring 2019.

Join the Conversation

A series of informal, intimate talks given by literary and cultural luminaries, In Conversation With The Rosenbach delves into fascinating histories, intellectual curiosities, and inspiring ideas. Each program offers audience members a chance to join the conversation after the talk and share their own thoughts and questions. In Conversation With The Rosenbach is supported by a grant from the Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Foundation.

Seating is limited; advance registration is strongly recommended.