July 8, 2023 Presentation at The American Mensa Annual Gathering in Baltimore

I’m exhausted after another trip to Baltimore. This time for a presentation at The American Mensa Annual Gathering in Baltimore where I discussed my forthcoming book, The Souls Close to Edgar Allan Poe. 

I think my presentation went pretty well. I had some good questions, and many seemed interested in purchasing the book when it is released. I hope that I also inspired some to visit the cemeteries in Baltimore, especially after sharing the tooth story. 

Seriously, someone left a tooth at the original burial place for Poe. 

Tooth next to the penny on the left of the stone branch the raven rests upon. 

I believe it was real although when I shared the picture with my innkeeper, she said that the tooth looked too white. I just assumed that if someone was going to leave a tooth at a grave that they would bleach it first. Maybe that is weird but then leaving a tooth is also a little strange although when I was in high school and had my wisdom teeth removed, I gave them to a friend who proceeded to make a necklace with them. She is an artist so perhaps The Poe Tooth-ster (ha! Get it, a play on The Poe Toaster!) is also an artist. Anyway…. 

Bathroom photo 1

Bathroom photo 2

The fun began when friends met me at Annabel Lee Tavern where I enjoyed a fancy grilled cheese and a William Wilson cocktail (High West American Prairie Whiskey, Liquor 43, Orange Bitters, Muddled Orange and Bing Cherry). After dinner, I proceeded to take some pictures in the bathroom for my album “pictures taken in bathrooms.” This bathroom was so fancy that I took two! 

The numbering of the conference rooms where I presented was interesting (which is my mother's term for strange. It challenged my brain more just looking at them) and I feel an opportunity was lost when I walked down an adjacent hall and discovered an actual Poe room. The room was smaller and did not have the right technology but still. 

Overall, it was a lovely time meeting some interesting* folks. [*my use of interesting is traditional unlike my mother's.]

Numbers begin with 1, 5, 4 and end with 6.

The Poe room