Every morning, I drink my coffee from a white mug, printed mostly in black. It has the black outline of a rectangle near the top, and near the bottom, a scene unrolls around it. To the left, near the handle, stands a woman in old-fashioned ruffles and lace. She looks prim and a little dowdy, holding a purse and wearing a large, puffy hat. Next to her, but facing away, a man with a handlebar mustache sits at a table, holding an open book. The table is covered with a long, white cloth and topped with a decorative lamp and a glass of wine. On the floor beside the empty chair across from the man lies the body of a second woman. Her head is covered by the tablecloth, and an empty wineglass lies on the floor beside her. The only color on the mug is a splash of bright red in the glass on the table and the bright red print of the word “Mystery” in the rectangle.
The scene was drawn by the cartoonist, Edward Gorey, who drew the credits for the popular PBS series Mystery. Like Gorey drawings in general, it raises more questions than it answers and creates a distinct sense of unease.
The mug was one of a set of two offered many years ago as a gift for contributing to our local PBS station. My friend Marla got them, giving me one and keeping the other for herself. Marla and I were in a writers’ workshop together where we collaborated on a couple of writing projects, including one about the mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers. The popularity of the televised adaptation of Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey on Masterpiece Theater led to the Mystery series.
Marla’s mug broke years ago, but mine remains--a reminder of writing, of mysteries, of the PBS special I still enjoy--but mostly of friendship.
It also suggests the theme of this October website, which includes articles on the attraction of fear, the mystery of faith, and three excellent British mystery writers who were well-known Christians--Sayers, G. K. Chesterton, and P.D. James.
I’d love to hear from you in response to the website. I hope you’ll suggest topics that you’re interested in and let me know if the site is helpful to you. This is my website, but I believe in sharing. You can reach me at b.silvey@sbcglobal.net. |
