From: Erik and Elee [blackhat@bitstream.net] Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 5:51 PM To: goodbye@goreyography.com Subject: thoughts on ted In 1993 I had the rare and privledged opportunity to direct the world premiere of Gorey's "Helpless Doorknobs." Though at the time I was only really a happenstance Gorey fan, this short play caught my attention. In so many ways it was as close to a visual image of Gorey's drawings on paper as one might get in real life. I tried to get permission to produce the play through the publisher, but to no avail, they'd gone out of business. On a whim I thought I'd call Edward Gorey up myself. I'd been doing a bit of research on his life and knew he was living in Yarmouthport, so I dialed information- half expecting the number to be unlisted. To my delight it wasn't and I was on my way. I left a brief message of my intention and hoped he'd call back. As blessedly dramatic as it sounds, on a dark and blizzardy mid-winter night I got a call back. Though I wasn't at home, my roommate tried to get in touch with me over the internet with an instant message (which back then was no where near what it is today...). I trudged home through knee deep snow to call Gorey back. I spoke with him in person and we chatted about my plans to produce the show. He was absolutely thrilled that someone was planning to produce it, no one had to date (which is why I think it was the "world premiere"). He gave me his permission and off I went. Not long after the production I sent him photographs and a program in hopes he would autograph it. About three weeks later I received in the mail the autographed program and a short note: "Thanks ever so for the program and photographs; it looks wonderful. I enclose a recent twiddly bit." The twiddly bit is a book by Garrod Weedy, publish by the Fantod Press. It is titled "The Pointless Book: Or, Nature & Art. In two volumes bound together." I could go on and on from here about all the other honors that Edward Gorey takes in our home. The short and sweet bit is that my husband and I prefer at times to be Embley and Yewbert. Thanks for the time, and I'll close with my favorite quote from Gorey: "When in doubt, twirl." Elee Wood <>

<> Elee Wood and Erik Peterson Embley and Yewbert, respectively. mailto:blackhat@bitstream.net http://www.geocities.com/epiplectic Beware of this and that.