Edward St. John Gorey, February 22, 1925 - April 15, 2000

Since I only get German television and newspapers, and since I don’t think anyone in Germany knows who he was, I only found out a few days ago (via the Internet) that Edward Gorey has joined his Gashlycrumb Tinies in the Great Drawing-Room in the Sky.

You could say that, considering his rather macabre work, death sort of suits him. But this doesn’t really make thought of his passing any less depressing.

Obviously it’s sad because - well, someone’s died. And even though I didn’t know the man personally, I do mourn the loss of a human life.

But it’s even more sad because he enriched the world with his work, and though the work is still there for all to see, the source of the work is gone. His talent and intelligence and eccentricity and wit has gone with Edward Gorey to the Other Side, and This Side is the poorer for it.

There’s no way that I could write a really fitting epitaph for the man, but the E is for Edward entry is sort of my attempt to put into words how I feel about Edward Gorey’s passing. There is an older entry as well about Dr. Seuss and Edward Gorey , just in case you haven’t gotten your fill of my thoughts on the amazing Mr. Gorey.

If you still want more, there is an awful lot of Goreyphenalia on the Web. The Goreyography site is the most in-depth, and there is an Edward Gorey tribute page up there right now (it was comforting and moving to see that other people feel the same way I do about Edward Gorey). The site has also posted a copy of the New York Times obituary for Edward Gorey, which I found quite excellent.

But the best thing to do would be to go to the nearest bookstore (virtual or otherwise) and get one of his books. Or several of his books. Or all of them.

That’s all I have to say.

Farewell, Mr. Gorey.