The Bellairs Archive, Part 2 - The House with a Clock Gets an Illustrator

Did author John Bellairs ever meet illustrator Edward Gorey? The answer is a firm "No". It also appears that they also did not personally communicate directly with one another. Fans of Mr. Bellairs' book series may find this disappointing, but this is the usual working relationship between most authors and illustrators, especially on an author's early books where they have yet to achieve recognition and influence. Mr. Bellairs had previously published three adult novels, but had not published a book for teens.

John Bellairs submitted his manuscript for The House With A Clock In Its Walls to Dial Books early in the summer of 1971. After several revisions to the manuscript based on the publisher's feedback, Dial made an offer to publish the story (with the caveat that further revisions would be suggested). On November 15, 1971 Mr. Bellairs returned the signed contracts along with a brief letter asking if they intended to have the book illustrated. Here is part of that letter:

Note: In a 2018 interview (audio only), Priscilla Bellairs says that her husband used an old manual typewriter for his correspondence and stated that he really was a poor typist. The above sample certainly supports this statement. Mrs. Bellairs typed all the final typescripts for his manuscripts on an electric typewriter.

Senior Editor Jean Gavril was in charge of the House manuscript at Dial and she responded favorably to this suggestion, but she was unfamiliar with Marilyn Fitschen's work and requested that samples be forwarded to Dial. Presumably these were sent, but there is no written record in the university archive confirming this.

Subsequent letters in the file make no mention of an illustrator for House until this note from the editor dated June 2, 1972:

Up until this time Edward Gorey appears to have illustrated only one book published by Dial, and that was in 1965. Mr. Gorey did have a solid reputation and would have been considered something of a catch as an illustrator, but it is unclear from the letters in this archive how he was engaged to illustrate House. In her recorded interview, Priscilla Bellairs states that everyone was very excited that Mr. Gorey was going to work on the book because his name and talents would increase potential sales.

The next post will continue the tale of Edward Gorey's involvement with The House with a Clock in its Walls.

 

The Bellairs Archive, Part One

On a recent stroll through cyberspace, my husband Bill ran across the listing for an archive of manuscripts and correspondence by author John Bellairs housed in the special collections of The Kerlan Collection in the Anderson Library at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus. 

The online library listing is "specifically vague", only stating the archive includes manuscripts for all but two of Mr. Bellairs books and includes correspondence in "two boxes". The materials can be researched by appointment only and are not viewable online. Since the library is less than half a mile from our home, we secured a research appointment and were able to spend some time viewing the materials first hand. 

As is always the case with this type of material, it is exciting to open the treasure chest (or cardboard file boxes) and discover a time capsule of information waiting to be studied. The folders included everything from several early signed contracts, numerous letters to and from Mr. Bellairs to his publishers and editors, typed manuscripts, several galley proofs of books, and a lovely folder with some personal correspondence, photographs and artwork from fans. The photo of Mr. Bellairs at his writing desk (top of this post) is a particular favorite that was found in this folder.

The folders also include correspondence illuminating how Edward Gorey came to illustrate The House With A Clock In Its Walls and why he did not illustrate books 2 - 4 of the series, but that will be revealed in a future post!

Edward Gorey's Early Published Writing

I was recently contacted by Karen Roth, a fellow Edward Gorey enthusiast who did some detective work after reading my blog post about the publication of Saint Melissa the Mottled (November 3, 2012). In this post, I pondered if SMtM was the only example of Edward Gorey's college era prose writing to appear in the Radcliffe College publication Signature at that time.

Ms. Roth found that the Harvard University Library has digitized issues of Signature from 1947 - 1950 and that there are in fact three short stories and three poems by Edward Gorey published in the magazine. Saint Melissa is actually Mr. Gorey's fourth piece to appear in print.

• Temperaments (poem, Vol. 2 No. 5, April 1948) 
  
• On The Ultimate Evening Of Your Earthly Existence (poem, Vol. 4 No. 1, Fall 1949) 
  
• All That First Evening (story, Vol. 4 No. 1, Fall 1949) 
  
• Saint Melissa-the-Mottled (story, Vol. 4 No. 2, Winter 1949) 
• Sonnet (sonnet, Vol. 4 No. 3, Spring 1950)
• To Start On A Journey Is To Reach Its End (story, Vol. 4 No. 3, Spring 1950)
  

All of the pieces are credited as being written by Edward St. John Gorey except the first, Temperaments which is credited as Edward Gorey. To peruse the magazines and read all of Mr. Gorey's writings for Signature, go to this link: https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:35365546$1i

It is unfortunate that Signature did not ask Edward Gorey to create any illustrations for the publication.

Auction News: The Happy Ending

Edward Gorey's original artwork for The Happy Ending sold at Doyle Auction House in New York City on March 22, 2022 for $20,160.00 (hammer price plus buyer's premium). This exceptional full color piece was published 49 years ago in the March 1973 issue of National Lampoon Magazine. This was the "cover" for Mr. Gorey's five page spread that also included 12 black and white single panel cartoons (see my post from July 29, 2013).

The beautifully rendered image was very poorly printed in the magazine. In the print version, Edward Gorey's careful modulation of color was ignored and a sickly yellow green tone insinuates itself throughout the image. The shift in color flattens the painting, altering the focus and destroying the dramatic power of the piece. This is a prime example of how an artist's intent can be destroyed by insensitive reproduction.

The Doyle listing notes that this piece was consigned by the estate of Kathryn Graham. Ms. Graham (1947 - 2020) was a psychotherapist with a masters in social work. In 2005, she published a lengthy essay titled The Devils Own Art: Topiary In Children's Fiction (Children's Literature, Volume 33, published by Johns Hopkins University Press). Alongside several contemporary illustrators and antecedents, Edward Gorey's use of topiary in his works is discussed. The full essay can be read here:

https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/25442/33.1graham.pdf?sequence=1

Join the Campaign!

The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, in conjunction with The Edward Gorey House has begun a campaign to mark the 100th anniversary of Edward Gorey's birth with a United States Postage Stamp. To that end, The Trust is asking anyone interested to join the letter writing campaign that is happening now - emails won't work this time, this needs to be done by actual letters sent through the mail! All letters must be sent to the USPS for consideration and they must be postmarked by March 31, 2022.

Full details on how to participate in this exciting venture appear on the Trust's website HERE.

 

Happy Birthday Edward Gorey!

Celebrate the 97th Anniversary of Edward Gorey's birth by pulling out one of your favorite volumes and pausing to read and enjoy it.

Jason Epstein

Jason Epstein; editor, publisher, and important longtime colleague of Edward Gorey, has died at age 93. Mr. Epstein began his career in publishing in 1950 at Doubleday and Company and in the early 50's created the Anchor imprint which printed classic literature in an affordable paperback format. 

Edward Gorey was hired by Doubleday around 1953 and worked on the Anchor paperback series through most of the 1950's, gaining experience and renown for his cover designs and typography. It was Mr. Gorey's artistic eye that gave the Anchor paperbacks their distinctive look. 

When Jason Epstein left Doubleday in 1958 to work for Random House, he offered Edward Gorey a chance to become the art director and one of the publishers of newly formed imprint The Looking Glass Library. When the LGL imprint was closed in 1962, Mr. Gorey decided to work as a freelance illustrator. Mr. Epstein would continue to hire Mr. Gorey through the years.

Photo by Barton Silverman, The New York Times