Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

I swore I’d never tell this story, yet here we are. In 2018, Kody and I went to Baltimore for an epilepsy checkup at Johns Hopkins. He had a morning appointment, so we drove up the day before and spent the night in the area. When we woke up, we had a little time to kill, so we went over to the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Plot twist: It was under construction. What we’d really hoped to see was their collection on Edgar Allan Poe, but it was under lock and key at the time. We were a little bummed, but still enjoyed exploring. An employee befriended us as we took our own little self-guided tour, and after she learned that the Poe stuff is what drew us in, she invited us to come back in a few months. 

“Thanks, but I have an appointment at Johns Hopkins today. I won’t be here in a few months,” Kody said. The girl’s face turned pale. She asked us to wait there, while she went and talked to someone. In about a minute, a guy came running over. “We’re going to take you to see our Poe collection,” he said enthusiastically. “I’d offer the elevator, but with the construction going on, can you take the stairs?” We were like, “Sure?” 

Oh, they rolled out the red carpet. We got to see a piece of Poe’s casket, a lock of his hair, and facsimiles of letters he wrote. It was incredible, and all for us in a special room with a curator. It didn’t dawn on us until we were leaving—and they showered Kody in a plethora of well wishes—that they thought he was going somewhere over the rainbow. Really, he’d only meant we lived six hours away and wouldn’t be back in town any time soon. Alas, we saw some cool stuff and met some incredibly kind people. Whatever adventure life brings to you this weekend, please know this: I’m Poe glad you’re here. 

Here’s what you need to know: The Poe Museum in Richmond is dedicated to all things Edgar Allan Poe. It features numerous structures and countless artifacts from the literary figure’s life. If you’re interested in Poe, or simply the macabre, the museum is well worth the visit.

Our top picks:

• The Poe Shrine—Opened in 1922, this area prominently features a “pallid bust” of Poe that greets visitors. During a weekend of activities celebrating its opening, Edward Virginius Valentine gave a talk about his meeting with Poe 73 years earlier.

• Poe’s hair—Remarkably, pieces of Poe’s hair have survived to this day. The pieces were cut from his head at the time of his death by his friend and physician Dr. J.E. Snodgrass. They were then placed on the back of an envelope and given away. It was later purchased by James Howard Whitty, who presented it to the museum in 1921.
• Poe’s bed—The very bed Poe slept in as a child while being fostered by John and Frances Allan is on display. It was transferred to the museum in 1979 by the Raven Society of the University of Virginia.

If you’re considering this as a tell-tale sign that a trip to RVA is in the books, then learn more more about this cool museum at the link below.

Who is your favorite Virginia writer? Whether they were born in the Old Dominion State or moved and called the commonwealth home, we’d love to hear about them. Drop us a line at amie@couriernewsroom.com or simply reply to this email. 

When he was running for governor in 2021, Glenn Youngkin said he would work to lower prescription drug costs.

Three years later, all eyes are on Youngkin to see whether he’ll sign legislation that could help lower those costs—or veto it in the face of a furious lobbying push from pharmaceutical groups.

House Bill 570 and Senate Bill 274 would establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which would have the power to review drug costs and limit how much state agencies, health plans, and individuals pay for certain prescription medications.

Youngkin has until April 8 to either sign, veto, or recommend amendments to these bills.

• President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order to expand the federal government’s research into women’s health. The order directs federal agencies to ensure that they are using federal funds to research diseases and health conditions that disproportionately—or only—affect women, such as fibroids, menopause, arthritis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease (READ MORE HERE).

• It’s been nearly two weeks since Virginia’s General Assembly adjourned. Do you know where the two-year budget stands? Dogwood correspondent Carly Seward Maher highlights the most important details that impact Virginians (WATCH HERE).
• Officials confirmed that a dead humpback whale was recently found a few miles offshore from the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response team was promptly dispatched to the scene. They’ll conduct a necropsy to determine the cause of death of the whale (WATCH HERE).

Throughout March, we’re sharing a plethora of impactful stories of Virginia ladies on our social media pages for Women’s History Month. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for the latest updates. 

Portrait by Thomas Sully/Library of Congress

You’ve heard of Thomas Jefferson, but did you know that the third president was a father?

Pictured here is Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, the eldest daughter of Martha and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas’s wife died at age 33, when their daughter was just nine years old. That put Patsy in line to act as the nation’s First Lady when her father took office nearly 20 years later.

While Patsy became a wife to Virginian Thomas Randolph, mother to a dozen children, and daughter of a president, she referred to her teenage years spent in Paris as the “brightest part” of her life, according to Encyclopedia Virginia.

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