VictoriaPrado

AnneBurk
VPS2
September20,2016

AuthorBio
EdwardSt.JohnGoreywasborninChicago.Hisparents,HelenDunham(neGarvey)and
EdwardLeeGorey,divorcedin1936whenhewas11,thenremarriedin1952whenhewas27.One
ofhisstepmotherswasCorinnaMura(19091965),acabaretsingerwhohadasmallroleinthe
classicfilm

Casablancaasthewomanplayingtheguitarwhilesinging"LaMarseillaise"atRick's
CafAmricain.Hisfatherwasbrieflyajournalist.Gorey'smaternalgreatgrandmother,HelenSt.
JohnGarvey,wasapopularnineteenthcenturygreetingcardwriterandartist,fromwhomhe
claimedtohaveinheritedhistalents.Goreyattendedavarietyoflocalgradeschoolsandthenthe
FrancisW.ParkerSchool.Hespent1944to1946intheArmyatDugwayProvingGroundinUtah.
HethenattendedHarvardUniversity,beginningin1946andgraduatingintheclassof1950he
studiedFrenchandroomedwithpoetFrankO'Hara. Intheearly1950s,Gorey,withagroupof
recentHarvardalumniincludingAlisonLurie(1947),JohnAshbery(1949),DonaldHall(1951)and
FrankO'Hara,amongstothers,foundedthePoets'TheatreinCambridge,whichwassupportedby
HarvardfacultymembersJohnCiardiandThorntonWilder.
Hefrequentlystatedthathisformalarttrainingwas"negligible"Goreystudiedartforonesemester
attheSchooloftheArtInstituteofChicagoin1943.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gorey
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/twirled

NonHabitualWords
Leap:jumporspringalongway,toagreatheight,orwithgreatforce.
Struck:hitforciblyanddeliberatelywithone'shandoraweaponorotherimplement.
Heap:anuntidycollectionofthingspileduphaphazardly.
Swooped:(especiallyofabird)moverapidlydownwardthroughtheair.
Twirled:spinquicklyandlightlyaround,especiallyrepeatedly.
Madly:inamannersuggestingorcharacteristicofinsanity.
Mark:asmallareaonasurfacehavingadifferentcolorfromitssurroundings,typicallyone
causedbyaccidentordamage.

Pounded:strikeorhitheavilyandrepeatedly
Pencilstubs:Atinypencil(eithermanufacturedthatway,orbecomethatwaythrough
constantusage).
Sludge:thick,soft,wetmudorasimilarviscousmixtureofliquidandsolidcomponents,
especiallytheproductofanindustrialorrefiningprocess.
Cindered:theslagfromametalfurnace

Rotted:(chieflyofanimalorvegetablematter)decayorcausetodecaybytheactionof
bacteriaandfungidecompose.
Silk:afine,strong,soft,lustrousfiberproducedbysilkwormsinmakingcocoonsandcollected
tomakethreadandfabric.
Corroded:destroyordamage(metal,stone,orothermaterials)slowlybychemicalaction.

Curdled:separateorcausetoseparateintocurdsorlumps.
Swoon:faintfromextremeemotion.
Forms:thevisibleshapeorconfigurationofsomething.
Wax:astickyyellowishmoldablesubstancesecretedbyhoneybeesasthematerialof
honeycombbeeswax
Expired:(ofadocument,authorization,oragreement)ceasetobevalid,typicallyafterafixed
periodoftime.
Bowels:thepartofthealimentarycanalbelowthestomachtheintestine.

Seized:takeholdofsuddenlyandforcibly
Hoof:thehornypartofthefootofanungulateanimal,especiallyahorse.

Pit:alargeholeintheground.

Backstory

1.
MynameisHayleySquillIam19yearsoldandIlivewithmyauntinherlittlecottage
inthewoods.Myparentsdiedinaplanecrashjustrecently,soi'vebeenhereforabouttwo
weeks.ItsjustmyauntSarahandhernineyearoldsonTony,herhusbanddiedinthemilitarya
yearago.Thereisjustalotofdeathinthisfamily.Sarahismydad'ssister,andIamgoingto
stayhereuntilthewillgetssortedoutandIcanmoveaway.Sarahisnicebutshe'siswaytoo
lenientonTony,Idon'tlikehimverymuch.Ikeeptomyselfmostlyespeciallynow,Igofor
longwalksthroughtheforest,althoughannoyinglittleTonylikestofollowme.Ijustwanttobe
alone,Ijustwanttoliveinmythoughtsandmemories.Ilovedmyparentsimmensely,theywere
thegreatest.ItwaslikeoneofthoseT.V.families.Althoughmymomwasn'tquitethestayat
homemom.Shewasafamousathomeblogger,shewrotereviewsforthingsandgotpayedfor
it,andshealsowouldmaketheseamazingmeals.TheywerealwaysreadywhenmydadandI
wouldcomehome.MydadwasaFoodcritic,butnohewasnotfat.Heactuallybelievedinself
loveandhealth,Whichiswhyhewasalsoamotivationalspeakerforselflove.Theywerea
funnypairbutitworked.Ilovetojustsitinthewoodsandreminisceaboutthem,sometimesa
tearfallsonmyhandandIrealizethati'vestartedtocry.AndIhearsomethinginthebushesand
Itellwhateveritistocomeout.BeholditsTonytheannoyingbrattomakefunofme.
2.
MynephewTonyisanannoyinglittlemonster.Heisconstantlydoingbadthingslike
puttingfrogsinthefreezer,puttinghistoenailclippingsinhismother'sfood,breakingplatesand
smashinghistoysintothewall.That'sonlyjustafewofthewayshemisbehaves.Helovesto
tortureme.YeaIknowIam19yearsoldandIamlettinga9yearoldpunkmearound,butthe
thingisthatIjustdon'twanttohavetodealwithhimandsometimeshedoeshitaspotthat
makesmeverysad.Iactuallydon'tknowwhyheissoterribleIwouldhavesaidthatitisthefact
thathisfatherdiedbutevenbeforethenhewasstillamonster.Hisfatherwasactuallytheperson
whowouldtryandmakehimbehave.Sarahdoesnotdoanythingshejustsaysthathe'llgrowout
ofit.HonestlytheonlywayIcandescribehimisheresembleschucky.Yes,chuckythe
possesseddoll.IhatehimsomuchIthinkI'mjustgonnatellhimascarystorysothathecanjust
leavemealone.
3.
Iamsittingintheforestunderneathahugeredwood.Thistreeissobigitjustfeelslike
therootsarewrappingaroundmegivingmeahug.Therearemanytreesnearby,andthereare
busheseverywhere.ItsjustveryfreshearthIamsittingon.Thebirdsarechirpingandinthe
distanceIthinkIcanhearawoodpecker.Everythingissogreenitssuchabeautifulspottojust
sitandthink.Everythingfeelssoniceexceptforthefactthatmynephewisstandinginfrontof

meruiningmyday.Hewon'tleaveIjustwanttobealone,andheisstandinginfrontofme
sayingstupidthings.Hejustsaidthatmyparentsareluckytobedeadandberidofme.
4.
Itsearlyfallanditskindofcold,butthisweatherisperfect.Itmakesmefeelalittle
numb.Itsmellslikefreshdirt,thegroundisn'twetbutIcansmelltheearth.Thereismossall
overthetreesrootsandalsoonthelittlerocksnearby.Therearegreenbushesallaroundand
treesthatarecoveredinmoss.ThetreethatIamunderisthetallesttreeinthebunch.Itsoctober
10th,myparentsdiedseptember30.ItsfeelslikeIaminsomesortofdazeandIfeellikeIcan't
processthefactthattheyaregone.Thewindisblowingbutnottoomuchjustenoughtocatcha
fewgoosebumpsonmyskin.Thiswasmymother'sfavoritetimeofyear.Mostlybecauseshe
lovedtowriteabouthalloween.
5.
IreallywantTonytoleavemealoneheissucharudeannoyinglittlepieceofhell.Heis
ruiningmytimealone.SoIthinkIamgoingtotellhimalittlelieaboutmyself.Heisactually
reallyscaredofdemonsandthings,justbecausehismomusedtogotosomechurchwherethey
wouldexercisepeopleandhewalkedinonitonedaysohesubjectisverytouchytohim.Sarah
toldmethatinconfidencebutIneedtogetridofthisjerk.SoIthinkIwillmakeupalieabout
howthedevilsendhisdemonstotakepeoplewhohavebeenveryevil,orhavethepotentialof
beingveryevil.LikeinmycaseIamgoingtotellhimthatthedevilsawthatIcoulddosomuch
evil,thatIjustneededalittlepushtogetstarted.
6.
TonywilleasilygetfrightenedbythefactthatIusedtobethedevil'shenchmen.Andif
hehearsafewliesaboutithewillfinallyleavemealone.Hewillbetooscaredtoevenapproach
meanymore.Iwillhavethelittlebratundermycompletefrightenedcontrol.Maybeifhewasa
nicerkidwecouldhavegottenalongactuallyIwouldhavelovedtohavetreatedhimasmylittle
brother.ButatthispointIamdonebeingnicetolittleruntslikehim,heconstantlyteasesthe
factthatmyparentsaredead.IlovedmyparentsandIdon'twantsomelittlepunkcrappingall
overtheirmemory.
7.
Iamgoingtoscarethecrapoutofhim,heisgoingtobesoscaredtohearthatIusedto
workwiththedevilhimself.AndIamgoingtobelittlehisactionstowardsmeandeveryoneso
thathewillneverdoitagain.Iwanttotorturehimlikehedidtome.IknowthatIamgoingto
upsethimwiththislittlelie,butIdon'tcarebecauseindoingsoIamgoingtopushhimaway.I
amgoingtothreatenhimwiththefactthatifhedoesnotbehavethatthedevilwillthrowhim
intotheflamingpitjustlikehedidtome.