Are you a fan of Edgar Allan Poe?
He was the author of some of the world’s best-known poems and tales: “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and others. He invented the detective story and was a pioneer of science fiction. He was one of the greatest literary critics of the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, his life was one of poverty, misery, neglect, and self-sabotage. In a free Zoom lecture at 7 p.m. (EST) on October 29, Mark Canada, author of the Audible Original Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror, will discuss Poe’s literature, life, and legacy.
Poe-logue to Halloween
Halloween is creeping up… let’s get in the spirit with Edgar Allan Poe, Master of Horror. Check out my Audible original by that name and subscribe to my free Mind Travel newsletter to hear Poe-casts all month. We will count down to Halloween with . . .
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“5 Things You Probably Don’t Know about Poe" (Available now);
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"4 Keys to Understanding Poe's Stories and Poems" (Available now);
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"3 Ways Poe Changed Literature" (October 19);
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"The 2 Sides of Poe's Brain" (October 26);
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"Once Upon a Midnight Dreary: The Genius and the Legacy of 'The Raven'" (October 31). (The audio version of this final installment will feature a performance of "The Raven.")
What is Mind Inclined?
Mind Inclined is your go-to source for ideas and inspiration designed to help you elevate your mind, your life, and your world.
Mind Inclined features reflections on literature, language, history, and ideas, as well as practical productivity tips, from award-winning English professor and university administrator Mark Canada, author of the Audible Original Ben Franklin's Lessons in Life and other books and articles. Come to Mind Inclined to "Think and Thrive."
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Listen & Learn
Mark's Greatest Hits
Upcoming Talks
"Puzzling Poe: America's Dark Genius"
October 24, 2024
4 p.m., Kelley House on IU Kokomo campus,
Kokomo, Indiana
He was the author of some of the world’s best-known poems and tales: “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and others. He invented the detective story and was a pioneer of science fiction. He was one of the greatest literary critics of the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, his life was one of poverty, misery, neglect, and self-sabotage. In this lecture, Mark Canada, author of the Audible Original Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror, will discuss Poe’s literature, life, and legacy.
"Puzzling Poe: America's Dark Genius"
October 29, 2024
7 p.m.,
Zoom
He was the author of some of the world’s best-known poems and tales: “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and others. He invented the detective story and was a pioneer of science fiction. He was one of the greatest literary critics of the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, his life was one of poverty, misery, neglect, and self-sabotage. In this lecture, Mark Canada, author of the Audible Original Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror, will discuss Poe’s literature, life, and legacy.
"Puzzling Poe: America's Dark Genius"
October 30, 2024
6 p.m., North Manchester Public Library, Manchester, Indiana
He was the author of some of the world’s best-known poems and tales: “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and others. He invented the detective story and was a pioneer of science fiction. He was one of the greatest literary critics of the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, his life was one of poverty, misery, neglect, and self-sabotage. In this lecture, Mark Canada, author of the Audible Original Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror, will discuss Poe’s literature, life, and legacy.
"Franklin in France: Diplomat, Celebrity, and Flirt"
January 14, 2025
3:45 p.m., North Manchester Public Library, Manchester, Indiana
Benjamin Franklin made his name in Philadelphia, but he did some of his more important (and fascinating) work in France. After arriving and taking the country by storm as a rock-star-level celebrity in 1776, he supported vital support for the American Revolution while winning friends and losing secrets.
"America's Writers: Works, Quirks, and Jerks"
March 27, 2025
7 p.m., Honeywell House, Wabash, Indiana
In this lighthearted lecture, we will “read behind the lines” of some of America’s greatest writing to discover the sometimes amusing, often inspiring, and always fascinating stories that accompany American writers and their works. Meet Emily Dickinson, whose idiosyncratic, enigmatic poems would have to wait decades before finding an audience. Eavesdrop on the witty (and sometimes savage) conversations of Dorothy Parker, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Learn what inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to write her powerful novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, how Truman Capote distilled years of research into the gripping “nonfiction novel” "In Cold Blood," and how the eccentric savant Thomas Wolfe magically churned out piles of prose in a single sitting (or standing). In the end, you will come away with a richer understanding of not only the writers, but also their works and the art of writing.
"Literature and the Sea"
June 17-27, 2025
Even for those of us who never rode the waves on a whaler or, in the case of Stephen Crane and Ernest Hemingway, a tiny open boat, the sea is a mystical place of both perils and possibilities. Join me as we “see the sea” through the eyes of some of our greatest writers, including Homer, Herman Melville, and--surprise!--Edgar Allan Poe. (This lecture features performances of lively sea poems such as "Sir Patrick Spens" and "The Jumblies.")
"Welcome to the Jungle"
June 5, 2025
1 p.m.
Chicago, Illinois
Join Mark Canada and historian Chris Young for the first in-person Moving Experience: "Welcome to the Jungle: Upton Sinclair, Turn-of-the-Century Chicago, and Investigative Fiction."
Who is Dr. Mark Canada?
Mark Canada, Ph.D.
elevating minds for over 25 years
As an award-winning professor, he has taught everything from the Book of Genesis to Toni Morrison's Beloved. Now the chancellor of Indiana University Kokomo, he collaborates with faculty and staff to elevate students' lives through experiential learning. For more than a decade, he has been extending his influence beyond the classroom to elevate minds and lives through lectures, articles, and books, including the Audible Original Ben Franklin's Lessons in Life.