If you can't visit this is nice to have. ( )

I'm not much on hero worship or cult of celebrity. That said, the closest I've come to it is Edward Gorey. I'd discovered his works early on - the opening credits to PBS's 'Mystery', ballet posters around NY, illustrations, and probably even more than I realized at the time. A long-time admirer (by the ripe old age of maybe 13 or 14), I had the chance to 'meet' him at the 5th Avenue Book Fair, where I bought - and he signed - a poster of [The Gashleycrumb Tinies]. I was shy and excited all at once. Here was someone who already was, and continued to be, an enormous influence on my sense of humor; style & design; dark, sardonic outlook on life; and so much more.

[Elephant House] is a quiet examination of Gorey's Cape Cod home, photographed soon after his sudden death at the age of 75. McDermott's photos capture the way Gorey lived - a collector, a cat lover, a reserved man. His anecdotes reveal much about Gorey that once again reminded me why I have been so drawn to him all these years. A book I will treasure for its homage to the man, his life, and his work. ( )