It seems befitting the Halloween season that we give a nod to the brilliant and wee bit dark (an understatement to some) writing and illustration of Edward Gorey.  His special brand of kiddie macabre is filled with twisted humor, but he is famously quoted as saying “To take my work seriously would be the height of folly.”  The following is from his alphabet book The Gashlycrumb Tinies first published in 1963.

By Edward Gorey

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.

C is for Clara who wasted away.
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.
E is for Ernest who choked on a peach.

G is for George smothered under a rug.
H is for Hector done in by a thug.
I is for Ida who drowned in a lake.
J is for James who took lye by mistake.
K is for Kate who was struck with an axe.
L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks.
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.

O is for Olive run through with an awl.
P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl.
Q is for Quentin who sank in a mire.
R is for Rhoda consumed by a fire.
S is for Sue who perished of fits.
T is for Titus who flew into bits.

V is for Victor squised under a train.
W is for Winnie imbedded in ice.
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice.
Y is for Yorick whose head was knocked in.

Following Edward Gorey’s death in 2000, his friend and former student Kevin McDermott photographed the contents of his home. McDermott’s gorgeous images are compiled in the book Elephant House: Or, The Home of Edward Gorey published in 2003 with an introduction by John Updike.  Captured are rare views into the author’s home filled with books and object collections, lending a rich context to his dark and humorous writing.

Gorey’s house in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts is now a museum dedicated to the celebration and preservation of his life and work. The House also honors Gorey’s passion and concern for animals, raising awareness about local and national animal welfare issues.  He was a well-known cat lover and they often appeared in his work including the illustrations he created for  T.S. Elliott’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (the musical adaptation of which became the long-running Broadway hit Cats). Learn more at EdwardGoreyHouse.org.

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