Poe Toaster picked by Maryland Historical Society

The next Poe Toaster in charge of performing a tribute at Edgar Allan Poe’s gravesite has been selected.

Edgar Allen Poe grave, Baltimore. Image by kezee / CC BY 2.0

The Maryland Historical Society, Poe Baltimore and Westminster Burying Grounds decided to hold a contest to select a new Poe Toaster, accepting proposals for how each candidate would pay tribute to Mr Poe. The winner was selected by a secret ballot.

The new Poe Toaster, whose identity is a secret, will perform a tribute at Mr Poe’s gravesite during the writer’s birthday in January. The tradition started after a visitor left three roses and a bottle of cognac at his grave on the night of his birthday – every year from the 1930s until 2009.