Hello, people. I'm back!
Still the host of this top -secret podcast.
Now, you may be wondering, hey, Carly, when will the folks at Butt -Head find out about your podcast?
The answer is nevermore.
See, I'm back today with a poetic adventure.
I'm going to investigate a famous writer, hang out in a graveyard, and yes, there will be pie.
Let's get to work. I'm Carly Q., and this is Who When Wow Mystery Edition.
To recognize a few folks you may not know.
Who When Wow made important inventions.
Who When Wow asked all the right questions.
History will never be the same.
I was not happy going into work today.
See, Tuesday is the day I don't pack lunch, and Tuesday is also the day I stop to pick up a pie from my favorite bakery, the Hilltop Pie Shop.
Yes, it's a tiny bakery at the top of a small hill, and yes, the pie is my lunch for the day.
But today, there was a big sign that said, closing this week.
I asked the baker why, and she said they're retiring and moving to Paris.
A dream come true. But my dreams are ending.
Carly Q., why does your face look so droopy?
No, it doesn't. Yes, it does.
I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what's wrong?
Nothing. Whatever, I tried.
Hey, have you noticed funny stuff around here lately?
Yes. You mean like how one day some papers were put in a different order on my desk?
Oh, and another day, my computer said I needed to reset the password.
What is that about?
No, I mean, the cafeteria stopped serving ham sandwiches, and they don't serve Jello anymore on Fridays.
I hate it when things change.
You don't know the half of it, Lewis.
Try having your favorite pie shop shut down out of the blue.
Yeah, fine. I'll just go to my desk as if nothing's happened.
As if it's a regular day, regular Tuesday.
When I got down to the basement, something was off again.
My alien bobble head was always on the left side of my desk, and now it was more in the middle.
Did you see anything out of the ordinary?
Maybe I'm just imagining it.
I think I'm still upset about the hilltop pie shop closing.
I decided to bury myself in work, but it wasn't easy to concentrate.
How can you, when you're so sad over something you've lost?
Luckily, I had a new mysterious time sealed file delivered to my desk.
Event, gravesite of Edgar Allan Poe.
Unusual activity at night.
I do like unusual activity.
I powered up my handheld computer assistant to see if he could help.
What does this file mean, legendary writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe, 1908 to 1949, known for his scary story.
Do you know anything about his gravesite?
Affirmative. Every year in the dark hours of January 19th, his birthday, witnesses spot a strange figure dressed all in black visiting his grave in the city of Baltimore.
The visits are believed to have started in the 1930s and they stopped in 2010.
I know, Nibbles, sounds like a ghost to me.
What does this figure look like?
The figure wears a wide brimmed hat and brings a bottle of cognac with them.
For what? One popular theory, to raise a toast to Poe.
What kind of ghost would be eating toast?
I love cognac and toast.
Wait a second. A ghost eats toast.
A ghost who eats toast and all the pot roast.
What a terrible host.
Carly, don't quit your day of job here.
Okay, so I'm not a poet like Edgar Allan Poe, but that was not terrible.
But there's more. H -Dad would like to continue.
Yes, of course. Sorry.
The mysterious visitor has become known as the Poe Toaster and they always vanish into the night before anyone can figure out who they are.
They leave behind a bottle of cognac and three roses on Poe's grave.
Fascinating. How intriguing.
Because it's a ghost.
There is no such thing as ghosts.
Oh, but there is such a thing as aliens.
It's not a ghost and it's not an alien.
Suddenly, I had a mission.
I was going to go to Baltimore on January 19th, Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, and find out exactly who this Poe Toaster was.
Come on, Lewis, come with me.
We've got a ghost story to investigate.
Carly Q, you know, we can't go anywhere during working hours.
We have to wait until...
Attention, butthead employees.
It is now lunchtime.
You have one hour. Remember, the cafeteria no longer serves ham sandwiches, and you can kiss the cello goodbye.
That really stinks.
No more jello. I know, Lewis.
That's how I feel about the hilltop pie shop.
Fine. I'll come along with you since there's nothing left for me here.
Hush. Come on. Let's go see Odie.
Besides, I can be there when you realize it's not a ghost or an alien.
And you can be there when the alien beams me up to another dimension.
Think about it. You get to witness me making first contact with another life form.
Lucky you. No, thank you.
I've seen the way you feed nibbles.
That's not what I mean by contact.
I hope you wash your hands after.
Odie, how's it going, pal?
Where are you heading today, Carly Q?
Lewis, again? To the city of Baltimore, the night of January 19th, 2005.
We're looking at the legend of the Poe toaster.
Ah, Edgar Allan Poe.
His poem, The Raven, is one of my favorites.
Quoth the Raven, Nevermore.
Classic. Oh, I've heard that poem before.
Baltimore loves Edgar Allan Poe.
In fact, its football team is named the Ravens.
Can you imagine that?
Oh, a football team named after a poem?
Fierce. We're going to find out who's been visiting the grave all these years and see what they're up to.
Maybe it is just a fan, someone who wants to honor him.
For 75 years. That's dedication.
Possible, but it's more likely they're an alien, or a ghost, or the ghost of an alien.
Uh -huh. Quick review of the time travel rules.
No changing anything in the past, but you can, of course, ask all the questions you like.
And your time is limited.
You must be back before the end of the lunch break.
And remember, keeping our memories alive helps us move through sadness.
And speaking of moves.
Is sadness something you can move?
Whoa! Hey, grownups!
Mindy here from Wow in the World.
And let me tell you, Carly Q.
and I are so excited to make it wow in you, Newark City, I mean, New York and San Francisco with our new live show, Make It Wow, presented by Audible.
There's more to imagine, would you listen?
And apparently, you're excited too because our San Francisco performance is filling up and our New York City performance is almost sold out.
So, we're adding even more wow with a second show for New York City.
Grownups, get your tickets today at Tinkercast .com slash events.
That's Tinkercast .com slash events.
That's it. We'll see you there.
Good morning, Baltimore.
It's nighttime, Carly.
I know. It's a song, Louis.
Never mind. We arrived at the Westminster burial grounds where Edgar Allan Poe was buried.
We walked through looking at all the headstones, some of them super old.
A mysterious voice was reading the poem, The Raven, allowed.
Wait a minute. I know that voice.
H -Dad, disable poetry mode.
I think it's a crow emoji.
Come on, Louis. We gotta be stealth, like ninjas.
We have to find Poe's grave.
Oh, it's so dark. There's like no light.
Wait, there it is. Edgar Allan Poe.
What are these people doing here?
Yeah, what is this?
A party? Don't they know we're here to catch a toaster?
I wish I had a ham sandwich on white toast.
Come on, Louis. Let's see what they know.
Fine. But I might ask if they have food.
Hi. Hey. So, what's happening here right now?
Is it somebody's birthday or...
Yep. Poe's birthday.
Don't you know? Maybe you're not from Baltimore.
No, we're from... another place.
And another time. But you can't handle that truth.
That makes sense, because otherwise you'd know people gather here every year to see the Poe toaster.
They say he shows up between midnight and 6am, wearing black clothing, white scarf, and a big hat.
Sounds like a good look.
Although with all these people around, he should be called the Poe Parazzi.
Am I right? Yeah. Anyway, stick around.
Maybe he'll show up soon.
I've been coming here every January 19th for ten years.
Ten years? Lady, you need a hobby.
Have you seen him? No.
The way it usually happens is we're all hanging out and waiting, and the next thing we know, boom.
There's a bottle of cognac and three roses.
Sometimes we see a figure running away, all dressed in black, but we never see his face.
Louis and I split up to see what we could find out.
I met people who were die hard Poe fans, and some who were just out to have a good time.
Nobody had ever really seen the toaster themselves, and nobody knew what the deal was with the three roses and the cognac.
Hey, Carly Q. The guy in the turtleneck over there just told me that the toaster sometimes leaves notes that say things like, Edgar, I haven't forgotten you.
Would a ghost or an alien be able to hold a pen and write a note?
Although, Nipples has very good cursive, so if a rat can write a note, I guess anything's possible.
Oh, Carly Q. Clearly we are dealing with a human.
Duh. Who's luck? And there he was, a tall man standing silently by Poe's grave.
His back was to us, but he wore a large hat and poured himself a glass of cognac.
Then he put the bottle down, laid down three roses side by side, and raised his glass high in the air.
Wait, no, Carly! Don't worry, I took two weeks of habikido at summer camp when I was 12.
I can take care of myself.
No! Don't you see? This is a special moment.
Everyone was partying, and now they're all quiet.
See? Yeah, let's give him some space.
Right? You're right.
Mr. Toaster! Hey, can I ask you some questions?
Maybe just a smidge more space.
Don't you want to know who he is?
Why he's doing this?
Whether he's real, or a ghost, or hopefully an alien?
Not really. I think we should just enjoy the moment.
Like your friend says.
They were right. I stayed put, and we all watched as the man drank his glass of cognac and then turned, and vanished into the night.
Definitely a human.
Are we sure about that?
Let's get closer. Three roses laid side by side.
What is up with the three roses?
That guy over there in the Ravens jersey told me that two other people had originally been buried in the same site as Poe.
His wife, Virginia, and his mother -in -law, Maria Clem.
So maybe there's a rose for each of them.
That makes sense to me.
What a thoughtful toaster.
So, I guess we should go.
That's it. He made a toast.
He was not a ghost.
He did not boast, but he left us in grossed.
Let's get in the elevator before we are toast.
Oh, Lewis, you're the most.
You might have a career in sleuthing, Carly Q.
Just not poetry. I disagree.
Whoa is me. To fight with me is all I see.
Ah, you're back. How was your adventure?
Well, the Poe toaster is kind of like an actual toaster.
What? The person, not the kitchen appliance.
Of course. We waited and waited and waited.
And then he just popped up out of nowhere.
And he is a human for sure.
He's been coming to the grave site for 75 years, just standing there for a few minutes, not doing much of anything, really.
Maybe he's just keeping a memory alive.
Keeping our memories alive helps us move through sadness.
Wise words, Carly Q.
You said them. That's why they're wise.
The Poe toaster invented this tradition because he wanted to honor and remember Edgar Allen Poe.
It was like a gift he was giving other people too.
A really cool experience.
Thanks, Odie. Have a good day, basement companion.
Lewis. I guess lunch break is over.
I didn't miss a thing, considering they decided a ham sandwich on white toast wasn't good enough anymore.
Well, this might be the last pie I eat from the hilltop pie shop.
Want to share it with me, Lewis?
Oh, no. I couldn't.
I think you better join me.
I know lunch is over, technically, but maybe we can just sneak in a few more minutes.
All right. Thank you, Carly Q.
I know this pie means a lot to you.
Mmm. This pie is so good.
Oh, pie. A classic.
I feel sad, but maybe I can learn how to make this myself.
Maybe that can be my own little tradition to honor the hilltop pie shop.
Well, Carly Q., that was delicious.
I hate to admit it.
I think tomorrow I will make my own ham sandwich on white toast and bring it in.
Let me guess. You want one, too?
Yes. Thank you. You know what?
Maybe we can make pies for everybody.
Think about it. Every Monday night, in honor of the hilltop pie shop, we bake pies for the entire bureau, and we deliver them fresh and hot on Tuesday morning.
We all lose things.
Life is about change.
And that can be sad sometimes.
But our memories will always be there, like the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.
So goodbye for now, listeners, all of whom I shall miss.
Until the next episode of my super secret podcast, you never heard this.
HDAD initiating in credits mode.
Who Went Wow Mystery Edition is an original Tinkercast production with help from GZM shows.
Handshake emoji. High five emoji.
For Tinkercast, the executive producers are Guy Raz, Mindy Thomas, and Meredith Halpern -Ranzer.
The shows are written by Aaron Weissman, Susan Moati -Darrage, and Tom Van Kulkey.
The head writer for Tinkercast is Kenny Curtis, and Carly Shiraki is a producing consultant.
Big shout -outs to the rest of the Tinkercast team, including Jed Anderson, Jessica Bodhi, Rebecca Caban, Natasha Crandall, Lizzie Freilich, Kristen Jang, Tui Mack, Erica Medina, Henry Moskel, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Tyler Thole, Joanna Weber, and Anna Zegorski.
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The Who Went Wow theme song was composed and performed by The Pop -Ups.
For more information on their three -time Grammy -nominated all -ages music, find them at ThePopups .com.
Producers for GZM shows are David Kreisman, Ben Straus, Chris Terry, Amy Cervini, and Claire McClanahan.
The production manager is Sharon Michaels.
Sound design and editing for Who Went Wow Mystery Edition is done by Chris Terry and Oded Levare.
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Thumbs -up emoji. Original music was created by Jennifer Roecam.
Voice editing is by Yoni Rekim.
And voice direction is handled by David Kreisman and Amy Cervini.
Uh, could you give me another one on that, please?
And voice direction is handled by David Kreisman and Amy Cervini.
Our main cast features Carly Schiraki as Carly Q, Brandon Salerno as Louis, Melissa Van Der Schiff as Nibbles The Rat, Kenny Curtis as H -Dad, and Angel Desai as Odie.
Help support Who Went Wow by becoming a member of the World Organization of Wowsers and discover wows all year long.
Sign up today at tinkercast .com slash membership.
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel at tinkercast .com slash YouTube for full -length episodes of Who Went Wow Mystery Edition.
And reach out to us at hello at tinkercast .com if you have a mystery you'd like but head to investigate.
H -Dad. Powering off.
Who Went Wow was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
Shh. It's starting.
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