Poe Theatre On The Air - The Premature Burial

Wear your headphones as we play with high and low frequencies and ASMR tricks to make you uncomfortable. Poe’s famous poem about love, lost hope, obsession and tragedy gets a dramatic retelling and an extra-unsettling listening experience.

They say a life at sea changes a man, but this story takes that to the extreme. In this episode, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air takes on Poe’s tale of tragedy at sea, and the physical toll on those who survive the clutches of a near-mythical storm.

When obsession meets the creative impulse, it becomes almost impossible to know when to stop. Art should imitate life, not death. Meanwhile, it’s becoming clear that the kindly Dr. Mallard has somewhat of a mean streak in him.

What happens when civil unrest and massive political demonstrations erupt in the midst of a pandemic? Baltimore’s health commissioner applauds lawful protests while stressing the importance of wearing masks, and health experts worry about nationwide ‘super-spreader’ events that could cause a spike in COVID-19 infection rates.

UK guitarist Gwenifer Raymond has adapted the sounds of the American South for her own intricate, and sometimes riotous, acoustic compositions. In this episode, she discusses how tunes from the Pixies, Roscoe Holcomb, and John Fahey guided her work.