In Ghastly Splendor

My Poem is featured in LOVE LETTERS TO POE: VOL 2 – HOUSES OF USHER from Love Letters to Poe

  • Publication date: August 2022
  • Editor: Sara Crocoll Smith

ABOUT IN GHASTLY SPLENDOR

In Ghastly Splendor was written in the blackout poetry form, which means I literally unearthed these words from the text of The Fall of the House of Usher. I’ve always been inspired by the underlying themes in Poe’s work and I felt the “found poetry” method was the perfect way for me to distill this classic story to its essence.

MORE INFO

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Thirty Usher-Inspired Stories and Poems

Whisper the words “The Fall of the House of Usher” and you conjure strange imagery… a brooding, black tarn… sullen siblings… the frenzy of undeath…

This famous story, published by Edgar Allan Poe in September 1839, continues to hold sway in our society over one hundred and eighty years later. This volume is composed of thirty stories and poems inspired by this great gothic work.

Explore the vaults of the House of Usher and this haunted palace will reveal to you its horrifying secrets. When, at last, you reach the end of this harrowing journey, you will be rewarded with a deepened appreciation for the original tale.

Curl up with Love Letters to Poe and enjoy these haunting tales!

AN EXCERPT


During a dark, soundless
autumn, shades of melancholy
pervaded my spirit with the
terrible scene before me. The house,
the bleak eye-like windows
rank and decayed
with an utter depression
of no earthly sensation.
The bitter sickening
dreariness of imagination
so unnerved me with
shadowy fancies, affecting a
sorrowful impression, a
shudder, ghastly and earnest,
a malady which manifested in
passionate deficiency.

© MARY RAJOTTE

READER REVIEWS

“Excellent mix of poignant horror, gothic spirit, and wry humor. Highly recommend.”
– Coy Hall

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“Best enjoyed with a glass of wine and candlelight, this collection is a must have for every horror fan that honors the legacy of a legendary writer of the macabre.”
– Pan at Undead Reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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