Nonsense takes us beyond the limitations of logic, into the quantum world where all is possible. It activates a part of us that is not always respected in our modern-day left-brain culture. Oftentimes, this disparagement of the nonsensical is to our detriment.
A master of nonsense…
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American children’s author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He wrote and illustrated more than 60 books under the pen-name Dr. Seuss. His first book was And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, published in 1937 after having been rejected 27 times.
Apparently, Dr. Seuss was a prankster, loved to joke, and had a penchant for wearing crazy hats from his collection of hundreds. When The Cat in the Hat was published in 1957, it was an immediate success.
I like the story about how this book came to be. In the mid-1950s, two prominent authors wrote that “boring school primers were a major cause of children not wanting to read.” In response, the director of the education division of a major publisher challenged Dr. Seuss to “write me a story that first-graders can’t put down.” The catch was that he could use only 225 words chosen from a list of 348. He managed to write The Cat in the Hat with 236. You’ll find more tales at Suessville. Their final thought…
Dr. Seuss died on September 24, 1991, but the man who inspired everyone from six-year-olds to NASA spacecraft engineers left behind a gigantic legacy of genius and imagination. And every year on his March 2nd birthday he is remembered around the globe as children and adults alike celebrate literacy in his honor.
This was Dr Seuss’s last book. Written in 1990, it was his final salute—with the intention of addressing life’s obstacles and fears while offering encouragement and hope to children. I don’t think you have to be a child to get it.
More about life after logic next week…