Brewster Ladies' Library presents Edward Gorey / Mr. Sinister Cozy

Terrible things unfold in an Edward Gorey Book—children get swept out to sea, abducted by murderous insects, fall into unsavory company, or get carried off by giant birds. Sometimes they die of boredom. Edward writes, and draws, about everyday life and—for reasons that get covered in this presentation—his books are a delight and extremely funny—mostly. Gorey’s work as an author, book artist, illustrator, and designer is frequently categorized as Whimsically Macabre, though we prefer Edward’s own term Sinister Cozy. His work looks a century or so older than it is yet consistently remains thirty years ahead of us.

The Presenter: Gregory Hischak is a writer, performer, and designer who has created exhibits at the Edward Gorey House since 2014. He is the author of E is for Edward A Centennial Celebration of the Mischievous Mind of Edward Gorey (Blackdog & Leventhal, September 2025). He has been the Gorey House’s Director since 2020 and has now been collaborating with Edward for almost a dozen years. Edward remains the perfect boss: open to endless interpretation and not prone to disagreement—as he is dead.