2026 Babcock Lecture Celebrates Edgar Allan Poe

ONEONTA, NY (03/02/2026) Featuring two internationally renowned authorities on Edgar Allan Poe, one the author of an acclaimed biography of Edgar Allan Poe, and the other a renowned rare-book collector, Hartwick College’s 2026 Babcock Lecture will bring exceptional scholarly depth and expertise to campus on Thursday, March 26, in the Celebration Room at Shineman Chapel House. The two events are free and open to the public.

Richard Kopley

At 5 p.m., Richard Kopley, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English at Penn State DuBois, will discuss discoveries featured in his book “Edgar Allan Poe: A Life” (2025), widely regarded as the definitive biography of Poe. Published by the University of Virginia Press, the book has received starred reviews from “Publishers Weekly” and “Kirkus Reviews” and was nominated in January 2026 for a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award in nonfiction.

A leading scholar of 19th-century American Romantic literature, Kopley is a prolific author and editor, a former president of both the Poe Studies Association and the Nathaniel Hawthorne Society, and a recipient of the Poe Studies Association’s Lifetime Achievement and Service Award. He has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad.

Stephan Loewentheil

At 7:30 p.m., rare book super-collector Stephan Loewentheil will share insights from decades of rare-book-collecting, with special emphasis on his renowned “Poe Catalogue” (1992), a comprehensive bibliography of rare Poe materials. A preeminent collector of Poe books and manuscripts since his mid-20s, Loewentheil was, in 2009, made an honorary member of the Poe Studies Association for his contribution to Poe scholarship.

A graduate of Washington & Jefferson College and of Cornell Law School, Loewentheil is the founder and president of the 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop, located in New York, New York and Baltimore, Maryland. He has assembled one of the most respected private collections of 19th-century rare books and photographs in the world. Loewentheil established the Beth and Stephan Loewentheil Family Photography Collection, considered the keynote of Cornell University Library’s collection of fine-art photography.

This year’s Babcock Lectures will be hosted by Susan Navarette, the Cora A. Babcock Professor of English. For more information, contact NavaretteS@hartwick.edu.

The March 26 lecture serves as the centerpiece of several spring events examining Poe’s enduring influence.

The series began on Feb. 26 at the Yager Museum of Art and Culture with the opening of “The Presence of Poe: The Life & Legacy of a Literary Icon,” on view through May 16. The exhibition features first and notable editions of Poe’s works, along with illustrations, adaptations and artifacts inspired by the author.

The celebration continues on March 12 at 5 p.m. with a screening of Federico Fellini’s “Toby Dammit” at the Yager Museum, introduced by Professor Emeritus of English David Cody. Fellini’s adaptation offers a striking cinematic interpretation of Poe’s grimly comic short story, “Never Bet the Devil Your Head.”