Edgar Allan Poe impersonator Mr. Campbell Harmon performs at Wallingford Public Library.
By Constanza Aportela ’24
With Halloween drawing near, the Wallingford Public Library (WPL) hosted a one-of-a-kind impersonator of America’s father of the macabre and horror genre — Edgar Allan Poe.
On Monday, October 16, Mr. Campbell Harmon, Associate Director of Communications & Website at the Yale Divinity School, returned to WPL after 14 years to perform his one-man-show titled “An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe.”
Since receiving funding from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2009, Mr. Harmon has been impersonating Edgar Allan Poe to inform audiences about the prominent cultural icon.
As a Wallingford resident, Mr. Harmon regards both the town and WPL with special esteem. “[WLP] is very special to me because it’s [in] my hometown and home library,” he said. “And back in 2009, that was one of the first libraries where I performed. This is the first time since that I’m actually coming back to the library.”
The event was open to all lovers of a good fright, regardless of age. Mr. Harmon performed Poe’s classic short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and then discussed Poe’s biography, his fiction writing and poetry, as well as his death and controversial obituary. He concluded with a recitation of “The Raven,” and answered questions from the audience.
The final segment of the show is Mr. Harmon’s favorite. “I like hearing the questions from the audience because [they] get excited to ask questions of this historic figure,” he said. “I never know what they’re going to ask me, so it’s always new, and it’s always challenging.”
The highly-anticipated show sold out to an audience of 133 attendees and was the largest event WPL has hosted since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Readers’ Advisory Librarian Ms. Cindy Haiken.
“Campbell Harmon portrayed Poe with skill and charm,” she said. “We’ve received some terrific feedback about the evening from many of the attendees and hope to host it again next year.”
