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A Macabre Merriment Honoring the Edward Gorey’s Centennial and to benefit the building renovation of Artists Book House

Artists Book House (ABH), the literary and book arts nonprofit, will host a new feature on its website. ABH will be the new home of Goreyesque, an online literary journal featuring stories, poems, and artwork inspired by Edward Gorey. The journal, founded by ABH co-founder Ken Gerleve and Board member Todd Summar, is moving to ABH as part of a series of late 2025 celebrations and fundraising events honoring the work of Edward Gorey.

Artists Book House founder and former Board President, Audrey Niffenegger, will be exhibiting new work at Zolla Lieberman gallery from September 5 - October 11, 2025 with an opening reception on Friday, September 5th from 4 to 7pm.

Artists Book House Founder Audrey Niffenegger and Board President Ken Gerleve were recently featured in the Chicago Sun-Times!

We have also just been notified that we will receive a grant of $5,400 from the organization Pitch Your Peers Chicago.

We are pleased to announce that Artists Book House has been selected to receive a Community Development Grant from the City of Chicago in the amount of $249,032.03 for the renovation of the roof, facade, and back wall of our building.

Everyone has a tree story. Do you remember running to a tree for safe base in a childhood game of tag? Plucking ruby-red apples on a crisp fall day? A treehouse that felt larger than life, where secrets were whispered, and dreams took shape? Many of us recall climbing high into the branches, feeling the rough bark beneath our hands, the gentle sway. Trees stand as silent witnesses to our lives, marking the seasons of change and growth.

Many of us here at ABH draw great inspiration from the weird, wonderful work of Edward Gorey, born here in Chicago on Feb. 22, 1925. 

Edward Gorey was a prolific writer, illustrator, set designer, and playwright, who is most known for the animated opening titles to the PBS Mystery! series, and creating dozens of small illustrated picture books – many decidedly not for children – including the Gashlycrumb Tinies.