“I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.” ~ The Cask Of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe (1846)Notorious for my insensitivity and putting my foot in my mouth, I once told my hard-of-hearing friend that he was lucky he couldn’t hear the idiotic conversation at the table next to us. A good sport with a great sense of humor, he loves reminding me of my verbal gaffes.
Joining him for a caffè yesterday, I overheard four women at a nearby table mention Edgar Allan Poe. Striking up a conversation, I optimistically (foolishly?) asked if they were celebrating World Poetry Day and pulled out my copy of The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe (Signet Classics), which I happened to be carrying (among others) for the poetry reading party I was attending later that night with friends.
Laughing, the ladies told me they were unfamiliar with his poetry and that they were just discussing what to wear this weekend at the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy, a “chilling cocktail experience” dedicated to the stories of the 19th-century American literary giant. Apologizing for disturbing them, I politely smiled and sheepishly returned to our table.
Watching the train wreck and seeing the disappointment in my eyes, my friend said “I bet you wish you were deaf.”