Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most famous mystery and suspense writers of the 1800's. His writings mostly consisted of short stories and poetry that were published in literary magazines and newspapers, although later published as collections in books. His best known works dealt with dark, macabre subjects that instantly appealed to the public. Some of these works include, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell Tale Heart, and The Black Cat.

Edgar Poe was born on October 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother was an actress who died when he was 2-years-old. He was sent to live with a relative, John Allan, who was a merchant. Poe was treated very well by the Allan's and was educated abroad when the family traveled to Scotland and London. Later the family returned to America. Poe attended college at the University of Virginia, although he did not complete his degree. While serving in the military, he unsuccessfully published several of his writings in a book called Tamerlane and Other Works. After the military, he held several jobs as a writer and publisher, but became famous with the publishing of his macabre poem entitled The Raven in 1845. However, his fame was short lived. Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849. Just as the stories he wrote, the circumstances of death also remain a mystery. He was forty- years-old when he died.

Kathryn Tucker Windham

Kathryn Tucker Windham is a master storyteller, photographer, and writer from right here in Alabama. She is best known as the author of the Thirteen Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey series, which first began as a collection of ghost stories from Alabama, and later from various states in the Southeast. Mrs. Windham was born on June 2, 1918 in Selma, Alabama and grew up in nearby Thomasville. She began writing movie reviews for The Thomasville Times at the age of 12, and developed a love of writing and photography. She graduated from Huntingdon College in 1944, and began writing for The Alabama Journal and later The Birmingham News.

In 1966, Mrs. Windham discover Jeffrey the ghost who is said to haunt her house. She first became aware of Jeffrey from an image that was captured in a photograph in her home. Jeffrey has become one of the most popular ghosts in the South, and is the inspiration behind her famous "true" ghost story collections. She has since written 24 books, ranging from ghost stories to cookbooks to photography. Kathryn Tucker Windham still resides in Selma, Alabama and was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2003.