A member 'evermore'
is honored by the Poe Studies Association
ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® Professor Emeritus of English Paul Lewisāa staunch proponent of author Edgar Allan Poeās ties to Boston who spearheaded a successful campaign to have the city reclaim Poeāis now a member of the Poe Studies Association āevermore.ā
Lewis was awarded PSA honorary membership for his career-long contributions to Poe studies at the 2025 Conference of the American Literature Association. PSA president Philip Phillips presented the award with author Richard Kopley, who wrote the accompanying citation which will be published in an upcoming issue of the Edgar Allan Poe Review.
Paul Lewis, flanked by Poe Studies Association president Philip Phillips, at right, and author Richard Kopley, who wrote the accompanying citation.
āSince its founding in 1972, the Poe Studies Association has supported the exchange of ideas regarding the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe,ā said Lewis. āI was honored to have served as both its vice president and president, and now to have received this award.ā
Poeāa legendary American short-story writer, poet, critic, and editor famous for his cultivation of mystery and the macabreāis a native son of Boston, born in the city in 1809. According to Lewis, his connections to the hub, and engagement with Boston writers and editors, is an important part of Americaās literary history.
Among his efforts to 'reclaim' Edgar Allan Poe for Boston, Paul Lewis led the effort to commission for the city a statue of the author, which was dedicated in 2014. (Photo courtesy of the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation)
Lewisās efforts Ā to cement the authorās ties to the Hub have included a Poe bicentennial celebration on campus and throughout the city; a Boston Public Library exhibition he curated with ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® student assistance to underscore Poeās relationship with his birthplace; and the creation of a map of Boston which identifies places āwith Poe-rich connectionsā associated with his life and work here, where Lewis has lead popular walking tours. He also co-organized Poe Takes Boston: The Fifth International Edgar Allan Poe Conference in 2022.
Lewisās award citation highlights his ārange of fine scholarly Poe studies,ā and āinsightful writing on Poe and complicated grief, Poe and ambition in Tamerlane, Poe and the Boston Lyceum lecture, and Poe and Longfellow. Paul has taken a leading role as a Poe expert not only in the scholarly world, but also in the public sphere.ā
Lewis supported the 2010 naming of the area at the corner of Boylston and Charles Streets in Boston āEdgar Allan Poe Square,ā and as chair of the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston, led the effort to commission and install a statue there: artist Stefanie Rocknakās āPoe Returning to Bostonā was dedicated in 2014.
An Americanist whose research interests include literary Boston; American humor since 1980; American lterature: 1790-1860; and gothic fiction, Lewis has authored several books: Cracking Up: American Humor in a Time of Conflict, Comic Effects: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Humor in Literature, and A Is for Asteroids, Z Is for Zombies: A Bedtime Book about the Coming Apocalypse. Forthcoming is Quothing "The Raven": The First Responses to America's Most Famous Poem. In addition to articles and book chapters on American literature, controversial humor, and literary Boston, Lewis has published opinion, humor, and feature pieces in prominent periodicals.
āPaulās accomplishment in investigating Poe and in advocating for him has been virtuosic. The Poe Studies Association is very grateful for his valuable contribution and very proud to award Paul Lewis Honorary Membership,ā the award citation concludes.
Photo illustration above of Poe and Boston by ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® Media Technology Services.