The Listing Attic

I completed my collection of first edition books by Edward Gorey some time ago; but every now and then a special copy of a book comes along that I feel must be added to the collection. This was the case with a copy of The Listing Attic that I acquired earlier this year.

The Listing Attic was published in 1954 and is Edward Gorey's second book. It is a volume of illustrated limericks by Mr. Gorey that follows in the limerick tradition of often being suggestively naughty without being offensive (unless one is easily offended). The primary copy in my collection was acquired in the late 1980's and is in pristine condition (see images at the top of the post). It is a stated first edition that is signed by Mr. Gorey and inscribed to me by him, so I never considered buying a second copy.

This past Spring, I heard there was a copy of The Listing Attic being offered at a book fair with a hand written limerick by Edward Gorey in the front of the book. I was not able to attend this fair but with the kindly assistance of another dealer I was able to purchase this copy. Due to the deep printed colors and the low quality of the paper, the dust jacket and illustrated covers of this book easily show noticeable signs of rubbing and scuffing. The inscribed copy shows the usual signs of wear, indicating that this book was handled, read, and enjoyed often. I have no doubt that the previous owner(s) also proudly shared the inscription with their friends.

The inscription is written on the green front flyleaf. There is no presentation name, but this was clearly given by Edward Gorey to a good friend as he rarely wrote lengthy inscriptions in books.

Written in the same distinctive hand lettered type that he used in the book, the limerick reads:

A well-set-up Mother of two

      Quite often had nothing to do

                At night she would babel

                And roll on the gravel

    But daytimes she spent making stew

                                        Harvey Gorey

It is presumed that the name Harvey Gorey was an inside joke between Mr. Gorey and the person who received this copy, but the exact meaning of the name is lost to time. We also have to use our imaginations to picture what the illustration might have been to accompany this limerick if it had appeared within the pages of the book.

On a side note, flipping my 2024 Edward Gorey wall calendar earlier this month revealed Edward Gorey's sketch for the cover of the book with an alternative title. All the major elements for the book cover are in place, including the first appearance of The Black Doll in the central second story window. The major change is the title of the book. This volume went through several name changes before publication. 

Mr. Gorey noted on the reverse of this sketch that it is the "Second Jacket Design for 'The Listing Attic'". An earlier cover design with yet another title, "The Disrespectful Summons" is also in the Gorey Archives. That title would finally be used 17 years later with a new story.

Book and inscription images by Irwin Terry. Images of the front and back of the sketch courtesy The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.