Appearances: Talks and Performances

I am always happy to lecture to historic societies, book clubs, libraries, museums, community organizations, schools and colleges. It is my hope to inspire an interest in our classic writers among the general population of readers. To that end, I have quite literally brought some of my favorite writers back to life as an impersonator, using in-character first-person interpretation. My fee for these 45 to 90 minute living history performances varies based on the situation (please ask!) and each performance is customizable based on the audience or location.

My favorite (and most formal) presentation is "The Poet and His Songs," which features Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as a young man, explaining his woes as a harried professor and up-and-coming poet. The presentation takes him to about 1854, when his prospects in poetry suddenly mature.

I also portray Edgar A. Poe as if the writer/editor/critic had just risen from the dead. In addition to reading from both his trademark and lesser-known works, he often explains the process of writing and the meaning behind his tales and poems. Poe's appearances are easily customized — from horror to humor to literary criticism to poetry. Many of my public Poe performances have sold out.

More rarely, you might find a young Nathaniel Hawthorne making the rounds of his old haunts in New England. A reclusive writer who does not enjoy public appearances, Hawthorne prefers reading his works instead of making presentations. His short tales are well-suited to various audiences, but I also present an abridged version of his famous novel The Scarlet Letter.

A trademark of all my performances is a question-and-answer session. Please email me for more information: robvelella (at) yahoo (dot) com.

I am a member of the group Solo Together. Visit their web site to learn about many other living history performers.

MEDIA:

• Edgar Allan Poe (Rob Velella) on WBUR's "Here and Now" (National Public Radio) — Broadcasted on October 31, 2012
• Rob Velella as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on "Dead Air Live," Somerville Producers Group, April 2012
• Rob Velella as Edgar A. Poe — Thanks to Walter Skold and the Boston leg of the Poetry Marathon, October 2010
• Beauty, Sound & Death: Poe's Aesthetics — Interview on Poe's appeal and poetics
• A Conversation: Poe and Margaret Fuller — Performance as Poe (with Jessa Piaia as Margaret Fuller) at the Old Manse, Concord, August 2010 (in multiple parts)
• Longfellow visits Springfield Armory  — Very brief mention from WWLP News (western Massachusetts), February 2011