Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey FROM OUR EDITORS
Edward Gorey (1925-2000) lived among slithering cats and old books, morbid bric-a-brac and cherished ballet programs. Though a graphic artist, he seemed most attuned to the printed word, fondly remembering his first descents into gothic literature and his first literary parties with Alice. In interviews, he could be, depending on mood, rambunctious, ironic, or avid. Other times, he greeted reporter's questions with the same ruminative, over-the-glasses stare that he gave Balanchine ballets. Life to him, it seemed, was a creaky, winding staircase, an ever ascending peculiarity.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Edward Gorey's extraordinary and disconcerting books are avidly sought and treasured throughout the world, but until now little has been known about the man himself. While he was notoriously protective of his privacy, Gorey did grant dozens of interviews over the course of his life. And as these conversations demonstrate, he proved to be unfailingly charming, gracious, and fascinating. Here is Gorey in his own words, ruminating on everything from French symbolist poetry to soap operas, from George Balanchine and the unique beauty of ballet to Victorian photographs of dead children. We meet the artist in his ramshackle, book-lined studio in Manhattan and his equally bizarre house on Cape Cod. He describes his legendary upbringing and vast range of influences, as well as how he managed to work amid all his cats. Ascending Peculiarity is a rare and wonderful entree into the inner workings of an artistic genius. Includes reproductions of previously unpublished drawings and photographs
SYNOPSIS
The 21 interviews were conducted between 1973 and 1999 by a variety of people for a variety of publications. They provide autobiographical perspectives on writer and illustrator Gorey (1925-2000). Drawings by him are scattered throughout. Annotation c. Book News, Inc.,Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Will Gorey's curious Victorian households scenes of disconcerting, dastardly deeds and "crypto-Edwardian" characters fade into obscurity with his death? Not a chance. Cultish popularity has yielded to international fascination with this fecund author-artist's carefully crosshatched drawings, quaint enchiridions and fey fiction. Curator/art critic Wilkin expands on The World of Edward Gorey (1996), which she coauthored, with this illustrated collection of 21 interviews that reveal Gorey's interests, foibles and habits. Gorey (1925-2001) studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, was drafted in 1943 (training in Utah, he began his writing career with "unpresentable... closet dramas") and majored in French at Harvard. He initially published his books through his own Fantod Press. More than 100 titles followed The Unstrung Harp (1953), and his readership expanded in 1972 with the first of the Amphigorey anthologies. Interviews culled from magazines (Cats, Dance, Vanity Fair), newspapers, NPR and TV (Dick Cavett) reveal Gorey's cultural influences and inspirations (cats, crime narratives, Louis Feuillade, Buster Keaton, the New York City Ballet, Ivy Compton-Burnett) along with minutiae and insights into his erudite, eccentric humor. Best of all, readers glimpse Gorey's creative processes: the texts almost always preceded the drawings, for instance. On his work he was characteristically irreverent: "I get a certain enjoyment out of doing it; but after it's done, I have no feeling for it at all." Stephen Schiff's 1992 "Edward Gorey and the Tao of Nonsense" (from the New Yorker) provides an outstanding overview. This is an exhilarating excursion into an extraordinary imagination (with numerousartistic tips and resources). 8 photos, 150 drawings. (Oct.) Forecast: National publicity and advertising, especially around the holidays, and counter displays will grab fans and gift givers. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
It's very possible that the only thing more peculiar and arresting than Edward Gorey's books and illustrations is Gorey himself. This collection of chronologically arranged interviews with Gorey (1925-99) spans three decades and shines light into many corners of his eccentric life and work. Gorey ponders his own bizarre dress (floor-length fur coats and sneakers), his obsession with the New York City Ballet, and his life with six cats and even manages to delve into some of the inspirations that fuel his enigmatic and strangely endearing work. This assembly by Wilkin (an art historian, independent curator, and critic, as well as coauthor of The World of Edward Gorey) reveals a charming, extremely intelligent, articulate, and eminently likable artist and writer. A thoughtful self-portrait thus emerges from the mist of questions and answers, one that helps to counter the paucity of recent Gorey scholarship. Gorey's own words clarify his peculiar and macabre worldview more succinctly than any biographer could hope to. Recommended for public and academic libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/01.] Kraig Binkowski, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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