To portray the life of a famed writer is one of the most difficult tasks in an actor’s career. Performer Duffy Hudson managed to capture the essence of Edgar Allan Poe with his seven-year-old act portraying the poet’s life.

His performance at the Woodward Park Regional Library, In the Shadow of the Raven, attracted about 55 spectators of young and old to witness the genius acting styles of Hudson, Sept. 24.

The actor entered the room not as himself, but as Edgar Allan Poe: shirt tail hung out of pants, dark wig slicked back and back hunched over. The images in his eyes, wild with terror to see the crowd in front of him, chilled the blood in my veins. He found himself almost drunken with excitement, but he consumed not one drop to drink. Poe apologized to the audience, saying he was not himself this day.

As the performance began, Poe told of his morbid life, full of death and despair. The story of the deaths of his parents, his foster mother Frances Allan and later his wife Virginia Poe, impacted the style of writing and produced a grim tone that emanates from his prized works.

About a fourth into the performance, Poe removes a tattered, leather diary book from his pocket containing his stories and poems. He begins to read from his favorite work of Poe, “The Tell Tale Heart”; soon Hudson becomes so absorbed in the story, he begins acting it out as though the murder took place right in the library.

“He kills his roommate and buries him in the floor,” Hudson said. “How cool is that?”

Later in the show, Hudson reads “Annabel Lee,” a poem by Poe. The emotion Hudson poured into the piece made the image of Poe come to life. From the affection in the eyes to the way he held himself in a vulnerable position, every detail of Hudson?s stance created the fa