Gorey Doodle

“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.

B is for Basil assaulted by bears.”

So begins the opening of The Gashlycrumb Tinies, just one of the many brilliant books by Edward Gorey. Born on February 22, 1925 in Chicago, this tall man who liked to wear fur coats and tennis shoes, has long been the writer and illustrator of choice for fans of the macabre and gothic.

His house in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts is now a museum and although his beloved cats are gone, it still looks very much like it did when he lived there, filled with his books and collections of various objects. I visited a few summers ago and have a large dried leaf on my bookshelf that came from the magnolia tree in his back garden.

Today Google is honoring Gorey’s birthday with his very own doodle. Be sure and check it out and have a wicked weekend.