A lot of fun, basically a road trip to see all the Poe or Poe adjacent places and things . Get a bit of biography, meet a lot of interesting characters. ( )

Ocker researched and organized Poe's life state by state, visiting homes and more often, the sites of former homes, along with the graves of Poe and those close to him, libraries with Poe collections and the former hospital where Poe died. He also interviews librarians, curators and more than a few Poe impersonators and actors. It's a thick, heavy book full of Poe's travels as he moved all over New England, giving the picture of a man who was always chasing work, always having to find cheaper lodging. And as Ocker spent over a year gathering interviews and visiting sights, there's a lot of more obscure information than you'd normally find, even in a book about someone as well-known as Poe. For instance, Ocker visits a street corner in Baltimore where Poe got into a fight with a newspaper editor who had cheated him out of a cash prize in a poetry contest.
In Rhode Island, Ocker is present for the unveiling of a library bust of H.P. Lovecraft, who himself was such a Poe fan that he undertook his own Poe tour in the 30's. Ocker is able to see Poe artifacts held in various library rare collections, including a lock of Poe's hair, and travel to Great Britain, where Poe spent five years of his childhood. ( )

Part biography, part travelogue Poe-Land has a lot to offer. My own writing is deeply influenced by Poe and I've always been fascinated by him. I didn't know quite what to expect when I picked up this book. Quite honestly, it's a bit outside of the realm in which I normally read. I don't read a lot of non-fiction, and when I do, it's usually about Lincoln (my primary obsession). However, I was quickly drawn in by Mr. Ocker's warm writing style. The excitement he felt when discovering new "Poe Plaques" was palpable and quite frankly, contagious. And while I have read most of Poe's works, I really didn't know much about his life. Poe-Land gave me just enough to nibble on to become fully interested and engaged. So now, among my Lincoln library, I have a little Poe nest egg. And I'm excited to add to it. This is a fabulous read. Interesting, well written and utterly engaging. I'm excited to read more from Mr. Ocker. ( )