As Edward Imagined: The Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts

In a world bound by rules and conventions, what’s it like to be someone “content to do his own thing, in his own way, in his own time”? Burgess (Sylvester’s Letter) and Majewski (The Art of Rewilding) provide an answer in this splendid biography of creator Edward Gorey (1925–2000). Via concise, deeply affectionate prose and lush, playfully elegant acrylic illustrations, the creators divide their subject’s life into three “acts”— a nod to Gorey’s love of ballet and theater. Act I portrays the figure’s early years and emergence as a “delightfully peculiar” personality given to “painting his toenails green and strutting down a fancy street in bare feet.” Act II finds Gorey in New York, discovering a great passion for the New York City Ballet (attending “nearly every performance for over twenty years”) and achieving professional success on his own terms. Act III depicts Gorey’s later years on Cape Cod, where his artmaking continued unabated among six cats and a plethora of collections (“sea stones, skeletons... and books”). Prolific and one-of-a-kind, Gorey stands out from these pages as profoundly fulfilled—a figure of unwavering authenticity and creativity. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Sept.)