Raven

Created by Lou Reed as a musical adaptation of the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and produced on stage by Robert Wilson under the title POEtry, The Raven, in its latest and loveliest incarnation, now boasts another collaborator: the legendary cartoonist and illustrator, Lorenzo Mattotti, who brings out all the terror and beauty of this centuries-spanning masterwork. In 2000, veteran rock 'n' roller Lou Reed, legendary director Robert Wilson, and a cast of singers and actors premiered Reeds musical POEtry in Hamburg's Thalia Theatre. An ambitious combination of Edgar Allan Poe's poems and stories and Reed's reinterpretations of same (with a few classic Reed songs, such as Perfect Day and The Bed integrated for good measure), POEtry bridged the centuries to provide a unique vision of beauty and horror for the dawning 21st century. In 2003, Reed released (under the title The Raven) a double CD reprising the musical, featuring an all-star cast of singers and actors including Steve Buscemi, David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Willem Dafoe and the Blind Boys of Alabama, as well as an edited single-CD version focusing on the songs. Now, for the definitive book version compiling the songs, verses and narratives that comprise POEtry / The Raven, Reed has personally commissioned legendary Italian illustrator and cartoonist Lorenzo Mattotti (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stigmata) to visualise this extraordinary collaboration.