Ghastly and Great: Edward Gorey at 100

David Templeton, the Community and Arts and Entertainment Editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier (California) shared some thoughts about Edward Gorey earlier this month (Feb. 10):

10 Outrageous Acts Committed by Renaissance Popes

John Bellairs’s long-time friend from college, Alfred Myers, shared with us once how he and John were both “attracted to the rogues, eccentrics, and general foul balls of the papacy than the much more numerous austere, competent and virtuous examples.” Bellairs wrote a few fictional hagiographical studies of popes belonging to the former categories in Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies (1966) (title character pictured).

The Library of Congress Celebrates Edward Gorey

First, some souring news --

It seems that the campaign for a 2025 Gorey postage stamp, to be issued on Feb. 22, the centennial of his birth, was unsuccessful. ... In 1979, Gorey purchased an 18th-century sea captain’s home, now the Edward Gorey House...when the museum opens for the season on April 10, its namesake’s 100th birthday will have passed. Likewise, it appears that a documentary by Christopher Seufert, who interviewed and filmed the author in the last five years of his life — Gorey died of a heart attack at age 75 on April 15, 2000 — won’t be finished in time.

However --

Ironton Celebrates a Century of Edward Gorey

Some recent comments (Jan. 15, 2025) about noted author and illustrator Edward Gorey from the Ironton (Ohio) Tribune:

Happy "Figure in the Shadows" Day

Actually, it's Groundhog Day here in the United States. February 2 is the only day of the year when "figure in the shadows" refers to a rodent named Phil. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks. I wonder if there were groundhogs on the Weatherend estate.

Happy Birthday, John Bellairs

The calendar rolls around again as we celebrate the 87th birthday of John Bellairs.

Memoriam: Melanie Lea Hayes

Melanie Lea Alford Hayes of Carbondale passed away on Dec. 31, 2024. She was 48.

Melanie was born on Feb. 20, 1976, to Gail Marie Schebella Alford of Onaway Mich.

Melanie graduated from Onaway High School in 1994, having excelled in creative writing, drama and over the next two years she wrote her first novel, “Dead and Buried.”

She was employed as a classified ad taker and obituary writer at the Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Va., a job she enjoyed for four years. Though not published, she wrote two more novels, “Number One Crush” and “The Prisoner of Shallot.”

Melanie’s main passion was writing, and she loved to write fantasy, horror and science fiction. She was inspired by the works of John Bellairs, Ray Bradbury and Peg Herring, and by the films of Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton. Her favorite actors were Christopher Lloyd and Harry Groener. Her favorite bands were Shakespeare’s Sister, The Breeders, Garbage, Cyndi Lauper and Led Zepplin. She was also a huge fan of the show "Mystery Science Theater 3000." As an animal lover, she cared for many cats, dogs, rats, and other animals.

Source:

dailyrepublicannews.com

The Figure in the Shadows: 1975-2025

2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dial publishing John Bellairs's The Figure in the Shadows, the second book in the long-running Lewis Barnavelt series.

Memoriam: Barbara Dane

We're remembering American musician and activist Barbara Dane, who died Sunday, Oct. 20. She was 97.

What's Ticking in The Walls

What's Ticking in The Walls

What's Ticking in The Walls

What's Ticking in The Walls

A Century Since The Crime Of The Century

May 21 marks one hundred years since Chicago teenagers Nathan Leopold (1904-71) and Richard Loeb (1905-36) murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks as part of their plan to execute a "perfect crime". The two randomly chose Franks and picked him up a few blocks from his home. Following his death, the boys dumped the body near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana, 25 miles south of Chicago. But it wasn't a perfect crime. Police found a pair of eyeglasses near Franks's body with a unique hinge purchased by only three customers in Chicago, one of whom was Leopold. Things escalated quickly, and their confessions were announced ten days later.

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