Home » Poems » Jan Allison » Alan Abel - Professional Hoaxer

Jan Allison | + Follow Poet |

Alan Abel - Professional Hoaxer

Poet's Notes

(Show)

Become a Premium Member and post notes and photos about your poem like Jan Allison.

He lied He’d died! Alan Abel faked his death and an obituary was published in the New York Times on 2nd January 1980, On January 3, 1980, he held a press conference and said "reports of my demise have been grossly exaggerated". DU-O your two line Poetry Contest Sponsored by Brian Strand 11/15/20

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.

Please Login to post a comment

Susan Ashley

Date: 11/20/2020 8:05:00 PM

Jan, congratulations for your excellent win in Brian's contest with this intriguing poem. Quite the character.. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Jan Allison
Date: 11/21/2020 1:08:00 AM

Thanks Susan:-) hugs jan xx

Jack Horne

Date: 11/18/2020 12:05:00 PM

LOL, and this reminds me of someone else...

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2020 12:37:00 PM

lol oh Lazarus keeps re-appearing:-( hugs jan xx

Gary Radice

Date: 11/17/2020 9:48:00 AM

Those 2 short lines says it all Jan :) Having read your two lines I just had to Google him. He pulled off several big hoaxes during his life. I read he died in 2018 from cancer and heart failure....and now I'm just wondering if he actually did :)

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2020 12:35:00 PM

Yes i had to google him and his final demise, so sad anyone would fake their death, the amount of pain and hurt it causes would be immeasurable:-( hugs Jan xx

Constance La France

Date: 11/17/2020 8:23:00 AM

Jan, congratulations on your win in Brian's 2 line contest, with this beauty _Constance

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2020 12:34:00 PM

thanks Constance:-) hugs jan xx

Linda Alice Fowler

Date: 11/17/2020 5:43:00 AM

Congratulations on the win Jan! Linda

Jan Allison
Date: 11/18/2020 12:34:00 PM

Thanks Linda:-) hugs Jan xx

John Watt

Date: 11/16/2020 11:23:00 PM

Had a feeling this was a winner! Good choice. Hugs ~ John

Jan Allison
Date: 11/17/2020 1:56:00 PM

thanks my friend:-) hugs Jan xx

Unseeking Seeker

Date: 11/16/2020 6:44:00 PM

Amazing! Congrats on your win!

Jan Allison
Date: 11/17/2020 1:56:00 PM

thanks:-) hugs Jan xx

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 11/16/2020 5:51:00 PM

Love this one, Jan. Maybe a brother of you know who?? hahaha. Congrats.

Jan Allison
Date: 11/17/2020 11:03:00 AM

Yeah unfortunately our very own Lazarus keeps on rising from the dead;-( hugs jan xx

Akkina Downing

Date: 11/16/2020 5:10:00 PM

Only wicked man will do such... Lol! Congratulations on your win, Jan :)

Akkina Downing
Date: 11/17/2020 3:18:00 PM

Holy Lazarus, how do you fake your death? Yeah, like I said, WICKED... LOL!

Jan Allison
Date: 11/17/2020 11:02:00 AM

I have known 2 poets do it, one on this site and another who posted here, hounded a poet until he left and then faked her death and posted about it on another site:-( Jan x

Janice Canerdy

Date: 11/16/2020 4:51:00 PM

A big CONGRATS, Jan! Janice

Jan Allison
Date: 11/17/2020 11:01:00 AM

Thanks Janice-) hugs Jan xx

John Watt

Date: 11/16/2020 2:23:00 PM

Maybe he'd been reading about Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls? Nice footle, and congrats on your #1 win! Hugs ~ John

Jan Allison
Date: 11/17/2020 10:59:00 AM

Thanks John:-) hugs Jan xx

Joanna Feltham

Date: 11/16/2020 1:58:00 PM

No need to say anything else! Congratulations on your winning placement. :-)

Jan Allison
Date: 11/16/2020 3:34:00 PM

Thanks Joanna:-) hugs Jan xx

Alexis Y.

Date: 11/16/2020 1:46:00 PM

Hi Jan, Happy to you on the winning list! Congratulations on your 1st place win:)Alexis

Jan Allison
Date: 11/16/2020 3:33:00 PM

Thanks Alexis:-) hugs Jan xx

Sara Kendrick

Date: 11/16/2020 4:38:00 AM

Great idea for the contest. Way to go. Reads like a good contender to me. Sara

Jan Allison
Date: 11/16/2020 6:14:00 AM

Thanks Sara:-) hugs jan xx

Victor Buhagiar

Date: 11/16/2020 1:43:00 AM

Just right for a win which I hope you'll get. ~~

Jan Allison
Date: 11/16/2020 6:13:00 AM

thanks Victor:-) hugs Jan xx

Gershon Wolf

Date: 11/15/2020 5:21:00 PM

Ha, ha! I remember that! A modern-day Tom Sawyer, orchestrating his own death! :) gw

Jan Allison
Date: 11/16/2020 6:13:00 AM

Id not heard of him till I googled!:-) hugs jan xx

Ilene Bauer

Date: 11/15/2020 4:09:00 PM

ha! perfect for the contest, jan! best of luck...

Jan Allison
Date: 11/15/2020 4:54:00 PM

Thanks Ilene, i was thinking of the British Peer Lord Lucan who murdered their nanny and then vanished, there is talk he was whisked off abroad and it was many years after he vanished that he was eventually declared dead but it was never proven he faked his death so when I found out about. Alan Abel it was perfect for the poem:-) hugs jan xx

Michelle Faulkner

Date: 11/15/2020 3:32:00 PM

Crazy story, wonder why he did it (and did his family/friends know?)

Jan Allison
Date: 11/15/2020 3:54:00 PM

I think he faked a heart attack, had fake funeral directors etc, i feel for his family that he even pulled such a stunt in the first place:-( hugs jan xx

Jennifer Proxenos

Date: 11/15/2020 11:30:00 AM

He went to great lengths to die and hold a press conference the next day - quite a prankster. A clever entry though, sure it will do great in the contest Jan. Hugs and Blessings, Jennifer.

Jan Allison
Date: 11/15/2020 11:43:00 AM

thanks Jennifer, some idiot on soup faked his death back in 2015 when my dad really WAS dying... despite being banned for life from soup for subsequent appalling behaviour he has risen from the dead like lazarus on numerous occasions, got to pity him but i want nothing to do with him:-( hugs jan xx

Carolyn Devonshire

Date: 11/15/2020 10:45:00 AM

LOL It was Mark Twain who first said, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Funny obit for Abel! Love your entry and wish you success in the contest, Jan! Love, Carolyn

Jan Allison
Date: 11/15/2020 11:16:00 AM

I KNEWI had heard the phrase before I couldnt think where, thanks Carolyn:-) hugs jan xx