Enigmas and Osbicks

Last month we saw a special exhibit called "Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey." Going to the exhibit was Susan's idea, not mine, of course. Once I got in there and started looking at his stuff I was very pleased -- a man with a sense of humor even darker than mine!

When we left I had to buy the book from the show and then make a tough decision as to which of his books to buy. I settled on Amphigorey Too and Susan has promised to put another one on my Christmas list for me. It's not hard to like someone who starts out a story like this:

An osbick bird flew down and sat
On Emblus Fingby's bowler hat.
It had not done so for a whim,
but meant to come and live with him.

Edward Gorey will be providing me with names for a lot of my clay pieces in the future. Speaking of the future, in November a 1965 Gorey book, The Recently Deflowered Girl: The Right Thing to Say on Every Dubious Occasion will be re-published. How can you resist a book with an opening description like this, "For more than half a century Miss Hyacinthe Phypps has been offering guidance on proper behavior..."?