Today's NYT: Full of People I Know

Hanna's on her way, so first thing this morning I scooped up the blue New York Times bag from my front stoop and rushed back inside before the 50 mph winds could get me. I unpacked the paper and saw that Laura Lippman's serial, "The Girl in the Green Raincoat," begins today in the Times Magazine. It's a Tess Monaghan story, and it has a kick-ass opener:

“I’m being held hostage,” Tess Monaghan whispered into her iPhone to her friend Whitney. “By a terrorist. The agenda is unclear, the demands vague, but she’s prepared to hold me here for at least 12 weeks. Twelve weeks or 18 years, depending on how you look at it.”

As always with these NYT serials, I'm torn: do I read it week by week, or save 'em up so I can gorge all at once? I'm so damn impatient. I guess I really should enjoy this one as it was intended: in lazy Sunday doses, with eggs and/or bloody maries.

But Laura's not the only Friend of Secret Dead Blog in the Paper of Record. Turn to the front section of Saturday's paper, and there's Ed "Poe Boy" Pettit, making the case for stealing Edgar Allan Poe's body (and legacy). I still think it's amazing that Ed's 15-second pitch over beers and bison burgers in Old City has turned into this multi-city lit war. I love it. If you want to see Ed do the Poe thing live, he'll be on a Bouchercon Poe panel early Friday morning. Not sure if he'll be able to sneak a pipe in, though...

Pettit photo by Jennifer Kourkounis for the New York Times.

Man, You Should Have Seen the Kick in Edgar Allan Poe

Yes, the Poe Wars are still raging. Yes, Ed Pettit refuses to surrender. Today, our favorite hardcore book nerd took his crusade to public radio: he was a guest on Marty Moss-Coane's RadioTimes at WHYY. You can listen to the whole thing right here.

And while you weren't looking, the war went international. German crime site Krimiblog.de mentioned the Poe War this past weekend. I can't read much of it; maybe Duane Louis could help me translate.

Update (8:01 p.m.): Holy fucking shit—looks like Ed's bringing the Poe Wars to NPR's Morning Edition or All Things Considered next week.

The Poe Wars Rage On

Almost two weeks have passed since Ed Pettit made a claim for Edgar Allan Poe in the pages of the City Paper, and the ensuing battle seems to show no sign of letting up.

Last week, Baltimore Sun columnist Laura Vozzella pretty much swiped the thesis of Laura Lippman's rebuttal (well come on, she did) then ran with it, taking cheap shots at Philly in the process. We're talkin' cheap, even for Baltimore.

Then, bloggger A.J. Daulerio at Philadelphia Magazine asked City Paper if we'd care to comment, and we did; managing editor Brian Hickey said he "expected nothing less from the syphilis capital of the universe."

This weekend Vozzella defended her town, claiming that Baltimore was only fourth on the list of syphilis capitals of the world.

And then last night Carlin Romano of the Philadelphia Inquirer jumped into the mix, offering up an original poem entitled "The War Over E.A.P." as well as a citywide poll: Should Edgar Allan Poe be exhumed and reburied here in Philadelphia, or left to rot in B'Mo?

Pick a side while you can, my friends. I have a feeling this shit's about to turn as dark and murky as a cask of amontillado.

For Love of Edgar

Mystery fans/goth nerds/teenagers who wear too much black eyeshadow... this is the City Paper you've been waiting for. Ed Pettit makes a strong case for why Edgar Allan Poe should henceforth be known as a Philadelphia writer. Meanwhile, Laura Lippman offers a hilarious rebuttal on behalf of her hometown, which currently lays claim to Mr. Poe. And you really need to click on this cover to see it in its full glory. (Yes, life at an alt-newsweekly sometimes involves having a Poe impersonator bound and dumped into the trunk of a Lincoln Town Car, down by the river, under the glow of a full moon.) Since it's our Fall Book Quarterly, you'll also find a bunch of fiction and nonfiction reviews. Dig in!