Talk:Edward Gorey

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Much, much more needs to be said. Gorey worked as an illustrator for several publishers (see, e.g. the cover art for Lukcy Jim, recently re-released), and he was a sought-after literary light. He also, apparently, had a fondness for strong drink. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.205.115.3 (talk) 14:57, 12 November 2003‎ (UTC)

I read somewhere that he had an absurd amount of cats living in his home when he died, between 50 and 100 if i remember correctly... Twisby 22:59, 21 March 2006 (UTC)


 * I understood that it was more like 5-6. The Ross & Wilkin book (The World of Edward Gorey) is a good source for background material.  There is also an extended essay in book form (which I've been meaning to add to the references at the end of the article) called The Strange Case of Edward Gorey by Alexander Theroux, who was a friend & neighbor of Gorey; it was published after Gorey's death, & has a lot of personal anecdotes & miscellaneous observations.  (I would check these books myself but I am in the middle of moving house & a lot of the books are packed already.)  Z Wylld 16:18, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

you might want to add this to the links below- the full gashlycrumb tinies book- [removed, sorry] and the unstrung harp- [removed, sorry]

happy reading... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.67.97.8 (talk) 10:51, 1 November 2006‎ (UTC)
 * Much as I would like to see those links there, Wikipedia's policy is not to link to sites that are a copyright violation (see External links) for legal reasons. I can't see anything on these sites indicating they have permission from Gorey's estate or his publishers. This tends to mean that works of authors and artists aren't linked from in Wikipedia unless they have been dead 90 years or so. Notinasnaid 10:58, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Commerce?
What's with the 2/02/07 edit by user "Goreydetails"? It looks like a link has been added to a website called www.goreydetails.net, apparently a commercial site with Gorey-type merchandise. Z Wylld 16:01, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Characters???
For PETE'S sake we all know the Gashleycrumb Tinies, but he has like, HUNDREDS of other characters. I'm going to propose a Gorey wiki. I need an entry on the 2 english terriers wearing bowler derbies and sweaters from I believe Amphigorey Also. WhiteHatRasta www.reddit.com/user/WhiteHatRasta PROTECT YOUR DATA AND HAVE A NICE DAY :)

What's with the 2/02/07 edit by user "Goreydetails"? It looks like a link has been added to a website called www.goreydetails.net, apparently a commercial site with Gorey-type merchandise. Z Wylld 16:01, 6 February 2007 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.118.88.188 (talk)

Wording
"But Gorey was especially fond of movies, and for a time he did regular and very waspish reviews for the Soho Weekly under the pseudonym Wardore Edgy."

I'm not an American so I'm not well acquainted with the use of "wasp" and its derivations in formal prose, but I would have thought it somewhat of a pejorative. There are a few other areas with borderline wordings, but that one struck me and I'd be interested in other people's opinions, if only for learning's sake. Orchid Righteous 15:39, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

Nothing perjorative about it in this context. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.165.52.122 (talk) 11:46, 20 June 2007‎ (UTC)

Re: 'Gorey was noted for his love of the New York City Ballet. He attended every performance for 25 years.' I suggest that he attended every production, not every performance. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Yatchc (talk • contribs) 05:04, 15 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Good point. - Denimadept (talk) 05:23, 15 February 2024 (UTC)

More commerce?
Similar to my 2/06/07 question above: What's with the 7/17/07 edit by user "Gaaart" at the end of "pseudonym" section? It adds 2 links to websites, including www.gaaart.com. It looks like this person/entity sells Gorey's artwork. Z Wylld 19:46, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Possible copyvio
Most of this article is the same content as at www.edward-gorey.com. Anyone have any idea who copied who? It looks to me as if the WP version was the original. Flapdragon (talk) 18:26, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Cleanup?
This article has a "Cleanup" tag on top. What sort of cleanup does it need? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ohsoh (talk • contribs) 06:28, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Check out WikiProject Biography/Assessment. This article needs to become Featured quality! The cleanup tag was unclear, so I've removed it. Work on the whole thing :) -- Quiddity (talk) 19:26, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Hm, OK, a lot of the article came from http://www.biblio.com/authors/633/Edward_Gorey_Biography.html (or the opposite). I've seen a lot of Wikipedia articles incorporated into other sites. I bet biblio.com produces its own writeups tho. So we probably shouldn't be copying straight off another site. How can we tell who wrote it first? Ohsoh (talk) 06:49, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
 * It says at the very bottom of that biblio page "This biography is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Edward Gorey" ;) -- Quiddity (talk) 19:26, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Image
Since he's been deceased for almost a decade, and the article has no free image available apparently, would a fair use image be allowed in this circumstance?--CyberGhostface (talk) 17:11, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Commerce revisited
Why the removal of the external link to goreybooks.com? The relevant section in External links is headed "Links normally to be avoided". Now I've always assumed the masters of Wikipedia included the word "normally" because it has a meaning, and not simply to take up extra space. Sure the link is a commercial one, but it would be as eccentric to omit it as it would have been to omit a link to the Gotham Book Mart, when it was still trading, on the same grounds. The site in question is, to my knowledge, the only specialist dealer in Gorey's work and without any shadow of doubt carries the most extensive range of his work anywhere, on or off the internet. We're not talking about a site selling mobile phones here, this is of substantial interest to almost everyone who has an interest in Edward Gorey. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yquem60 (talk • contribs) 17:04, 3 March 2009 (UTC)
 * The link falls under not one but many of the categories of links to be avoided: please see points 1, 4, 5, and 14. You may also wish to consult our guideline on External link spamming. The site does not constitute a unique resource on Gorey but exists solely for commercial purposes. Kafka Liz (talk) 21:00, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

Not to mention
There's a conspicuous absence here.

Is there some reason that the sentence, "Edward Gorey's work is sometimes compared to -- if not confused with -- that of Charles Addams, who's work explored similarly macabre Victorian domestic themes" doesn't appear?

This "elephant in the room" is as palpable on the Charles Addams wiki-page, and reads as sour grapes by two opposing sets of fans. miltonBradley 11:47, 14 April 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cpoticha (talk • contribs)
 * Why would that exact sentence appear? Has someone written it in the article before, and then someone else later deleted it, and you're now objecting to its removal? I don't understand where your assumption of "sour grapes" is coming from.
 * If you can cite it, then add it. :) -- Quiddity (talk) 19:39, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Also, the article state both that Gorey did and did not illustrate the opening title for the PBS show Mystery. That confounded me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.111.64.49 (talk) 23:43, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

In re: his being mistaken for British
While it may be interesting to know that he only left the U.S. once, and that he went to the Scottish Hebrides when he did, the assertion that precedes it, Because of the settings and style of Gorey's work, many people have assumed he was British is surely pure P.O.V.? I'm not sure that a misguided assumption by others actually tells us more about Gorey, although I can see that it is being used as a hook for the titbit of information that largely he was untraveled beyond America. Nor could it be said, that I can see, that his art is in a "British" style, or calling on a tradition in British art - to do so actually diminishes that unique quality which he developed and for which he was known. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jock123 (talk • contribs) 10:38, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Anthology Illustrated?
I'm trying to identify an anthology collection that I read in the early '70s. Gorey did the illustrations, at least one per story, and may have written the introduction, although it may have been one of the 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' series. The stories included Poe's "Case of M. Valdemar", Fitz James O'Brien's "What was It?", a story similar to the movie "The Tingler" except involving cancer, and one about a little boy terrified about something in the cellar. Can Anyone tell me the title and give a list of all of the stories in it?CFLeon (talk) 23:23, 3 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Monster Festival: Classic Tales of the Macabre (contents listed further down that page)
 * p.s. Whilst looking (using just a basic ), I learned of the album Gorey By Grimes, with a streaming The Gashlycrumb Tinies sample, by Tammy Grimes, which made me grin. -- Quiddity (talk) 19:28, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

Typo
There is a typo under his early life section. "Gorey attended he Francis W. Parker School." should say "Gorey attended the Francis W. Parker School." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Uzilala (talk • contribs) 06:03, 22 February 2013‎ (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done - fixed. - M0rphzone (talk) 06:24, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Locked for doodle?
Is it only locked because it is the current google doodle?--150.216.189.220 (talk) 16:28, 22 February 2013 (UTC)
 * It's semi-protected because of vandalism from people coming from the Google Doodle results link. When the dust settles, it'll be unprotected. - M0rphzone (talk) 02:07, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

Typography
He is credited as providing the typography for the cover of an introduction to haiku by Harold G. Henderson.(mercurywoodrose)50.193.19.66 (talk) 16:42, 23 October 2013 (UTC) I have a book titled The Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, © 1957 by Doubleday Anchor that also lists Edward Gorey as the typographer. - DNeedham, Nov 12, 2016.

Children's books?
The article states -- without evidence -- that Gorey's books are popular with children. They'd have to be really weird kids.

I was a weird kid, and my first exposure to Gorey, at the age of 12, was The Wuggly Ump. I was delighted. Not only was the monster appallingly ugly -- but he ate the children! You'd think the "wholesome bowls of milk and bread" the children consumed would have been protective charms, but noooooo.

The question of why some children like Gorey's books needs elaboration -- perhaps even psychiatric analysis. WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 16:10, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Date of birth?
His persondata box lists his birth date as 1925-02-22 or 1925-02-25, but the article clearly states that it's the 22nd. What is the source of this possible discrepancy? And how should it be handled in the article, if at all? WikkanWitch (talk) 16:39, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

Add Harvard University to education section of infobox.
I wish to discuss the reversion of including Gorey's Bachelor's degree from Harvard in the infobox. As listed, the infobox states that Gorey's education was "Mainly self-taught" which is incomplete. His studies at Harvard are part of his experience and are relevant to readers looking to learn more about Gorey. Artists are also not created exclusively by their formal art training. Instead, their interests and activities are informed by many dimensions including spending four years studying French at a renowned University.I propose we retain that he studied at Harvard University, as the article states, and include that he earned a degree in French there. Then we can keep all art training details as written. This offers a more complete view of Gorey's formal education. Zack (talk) 05:28, 8 November 2016 (UTC)

To bring the conversation to one place Albrecht, would you like to comment further on your reversion? I appreciate that Gorey is known for his art, but that is actually listed AFTER his "Education" so it produces an incomplete biographic overview in the infobox. As I stated above, I recommend we include both parts of his formal education to offer a more complete view. 05:32, 8 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks for posting this. It think it will be useful to gather a few viewpoints on this. My point is that his complete education is mentioned in the article. The purpose of the infobox, as I understand it, is to present a very concise overview of the most important facts, and, for an artist, the teacher / art school could certainly be considered relevant in this regard. Generally, the way the infobox is used seems to be very inconsistent. I just checked a number of articles - in some the item "Education" is not included at all (e.g. Dr. Seuss), in others it is but the item is titled "Alma mater" (e.g. William Carlos Williams. The latter case has some similarities to Gorey, as William C. Willams was a writer, yet his degree was in medicine. - My preference for Gorey would be, not to include the information about Harvard in the infobox, as this suggests that Harvard is where he trained as an artist. Of course, it is possible to argue that his degree in French influenced his later work - but then this could be said about many other parts of his life and education. Albrecht Conz (talk) 16:31, 8 November 2016 (UTC)

Tove Jansson's story Black-White is a homage to him
could be added? 94.197.34.137 (talk) 20:26, 22 July 2022 (UTC)