“Mr. Harmon has performed at our library twice in character as Edgar Allan Poe, and both times was absolutely superb. His knowledge of Poe’s life, impact, and body of work are second to none, and his ability to bring the author to life and interpret his work transcends impersonation. Additionally, he was extremely easy, fun, and professional to work with. I would highly recommend him as a presenter to any public library for almost any age group!”
–Rachel Taylor, Wallingford Public Library, 2025
“…thank you for your wonderful portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe…Your delightful but gruesome description from ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ kept our members enthralled. We also appreciated your fount of information on the facts of Mr. Poe’s life and times. Thank you for providing such an informative and entertaining program. We all thoroughly enjoyed it!!”
–Loretta Rubin on behalf of the MILE Advisory Board, 2023
“Educational, entertaining, spellbinding.” –Audience member at Henry Carter Hull Library, 2023
“There has never been and could never be a better Poe re-enactor than Campbell Harmon. Campbell wooed our crowd so much so that they stayed long after the program for their chance to chat one on one with Poe. He was so generous to oblige us. Not only was Campbell incredibly knowledgeable, but he was so personable and great with a group. For one actor to keep a decent size audience sitting on the edge of their chairs is no easy task. It was because I saw Campbell preform some years ago that I knew he’d be just as much of a hit at our organization. It really was the perfect October evening, with guests raving about their experience for the next two weeks. I can’t recommend Campbell and his program more.”
–Ari Kellerman, Education Director Old York Historical Society, 2021
Comments submitted by the audience at the 2013 Springfield, Missouri Big Read event:
“Excellent Poe! He was fantastic.”
“Informative-I enjoyed the history of Poe and offshoots of his works.”
“Fantastic performance!”
“Great performance and questions.”
“Harmon was a wonderful choice and really brought life to Poe. Thank you!”
“Excellent performer. Gifted Poe Actor. Very Knowledgeable.”
“Outstanding! Mr. Poe was an absolute delight! A true master in his executions! Thank you.”
“Once in a lifetime-will never forget!”
From the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read performances:
“My family and I were able to attend a library event, the Dead Poets Slam, and Boo at the Bushnell. All were excellent. Our daughter is a big horror fan and has loved Mr. Poe since fifth grade. These events gave her an opportunity to learn more about a genre she loves and some insight into what goes into the creation of these art forms.”
“[Campbell’s] Poe improved with each performance. I was deeply touched by Poe’s difficult life and his heroic struggles to create art and support his chosen family. I was also grateful to [Campbell] for the tact and sensitivity he displayed in handling what could have been some tricky questions regarding Mr. Poe’s personal life, given the ages of some of the audience members.”
“My daughter asked him about the role of alcohol and drugs in the enhancement of the creative process. He was clear and emphatic that substance abuse hampered Mr. Poe’s efforts, which I later learned was really the answer she was looking for. ” –November 4, 2009
“I just wanted to let you know that at lunch today, the students came in and began checking out the books on our Poe display. They had questions about The Raven, they wanted to read The Tell-Tale Heart; it has been very “Poe-like” around here today. Our class set of books is out in Mr. Torres’ classroom and the school is abuzz with talk of Poe. Never underestimate the power of an actual performance to begin many dialogs about literacy, even in middle school. It is a beautiful thing to witness and I thank you.” — October 10, 2011
“We received a lot of positive feedback from your performance… people are still talking about it – so again many thanks. We are not known for having people come to our programs and you certainly packed them in!” –November 24, 2009
“People in Rocky Hill are still talking about the Bushnell’s Edgar Allan Poe night at the Library – so thank you again!” –November 5, 2009