We have a sneaking feeling that this book is going to lead to a renaissance in personalized illustrated letters... we certainly hope so!
This horizontally formatted 248 page hardcover is filled with page after page of full color scans of illustrated envelopes, typewritten notes and handwritten quotations that form the corpus of the correspondence from Ted to Tom. It's just in at Copacetic, so we're going to leave you with the publisher, New York Review of Books info, which will at least bring you up to speed:
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When Tom Fitzharris met Edward "Ted" Gorey in 1974, the two quickly struck up a friendship. Over the next year Gorey sent a total of fifty letters to Fitzharris. Every envelope Fitzharris received was illustrated by Gorey, and filled with surprises: typewritten letters with news and opinions from Gorey's life, handwritten note cards with unexpected quotes, sketches, inside jokes, and a host of other joyous miscellany.
Assembled here for the first time, these envelopes and their contents deliver all the humor, imagination, gossip, and wonder that came with being Edward Gorey's pen pal.
PRAISE
This marvelous collection is the perfect way to deepen your love of Gorey (or, if you’re new to his work, fall in love with it).... Gorey sent Fitzharris a total of fifty letters, all whimsically illustrated and full of charming, miscellaneous bits of trivia, and fun surprises. And finally, they’ve been reprinted all together. Read it and feel (as I did) the privilege of being Edward Gorey’s pen pal.
— Lithub
Chockablock with eccentric delights, from Gorey’s surreal, Victorian-tainted illustrations (the dogs stand on swings, perform circus acts, balance on the sun, cruise in balloons) to his self-deflating humor, which is often aimed at his lethargic condition.
— Bill Marx, The Arts Fuse
A unique collection of Gorey’s private works that’s sure to be of interest to his many ardent fans…Gorey took the time to meticulously adorn each envelope with a one-of-a-kind artwork….Fitzharris has also included excerpts from some of the letters, providing a window into Gorey’s summers spent on Cape Cod as well as his professional and intellectual pursuits during this period.
— Michael Patrick Brady, WBUR
ISBN: 9781681379050
