Patricia Highsmith, b. 1921. We used to rent DVDs from Clean Films, movies that had been edited to remove profanity and nudity. One of the films we rented has become something of a family joke, The Talented Mr. Ripley, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. I think something was definitely lost in the editing; it was a very confusing movie experience for us, and by the time we realized what the movie was all about and that we really didn’t want to watch it at all, it was too late. I still can’t watch a movie with Matt Damon and feel comfortable with whatever character he’s playing; I’m always afraid he might turn into Mr. Ripley before the end of the movie. Anyway I bought a copy of Strangers on a Train also by Patricia Highsmith, and I plan to read it soon. I hope it doesn’t have any disturbing or disturbed Damon/Ripley characters in it–although I could probably handle it better in a book than in a movie.

Maybe January 19th is the day for weirdness; it’s also the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe. I posted last year on Poe’s birthday about tintinabulation and in 2004 about my favorite poem, Annabel Lee.
I also wrote about the Poe forgery, Leonainie. Does anyone know without looking who the forger was?
Finally, have you heard about the Poe Toaster? He comes in the night every January 19th and leaves a half-filled bottle of cognac and three roses on Poe’s grave. Some unknown man has performed this ritual every year since 1949. Does anyone know if he’s left his tribute for this year? Or will it be tonight?