Sunday, March 02, 2003

Happy Birthday Dr. S Sir!
(You're the best from east to west sir!)




And we would love you on a train...


According to my parents -- 'cause who remembers such things, anyway -- the first book I read successfully on my own was Dr. Seuss' Hop on Pop. Since then, I guess you could call me a Seussaholic (better than a Suessamabob, I guess). I read the shorter stories on my weekly radio show once a term or so, populating the music with Sneetches, Sam I Am, and both North and South-Going Jax, and the entire populations of Whoville and Mulberry Street, Circus and Zoo. We read the youngerkid books Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? and There's a Wocket In My Pocket from board books to the baby.

Dr. Seuss, aka Theodore Geisel, would have been one year older today if he were still alive. Luckily, the best authors live on through their masterworks forever. You couldn't say I like the whole collection equally -- I never really got into the Cat in the Hat, for some reason; I think I've always felt it was a bit too forced -- but you could definitely call me a fan. We've even taken a trip down to Springfield, MA, just to see the town tribute and sculpture garden in honor of their favorite local son.

I was in my first year of college when Dr. Seuss died. As a letter to Seuss notifying him of a "Seuss Club" being formed on campus had resulted in personal correspondence from the man himself saying basically "can't see why you'd want a club like that, but whatever makes you happy, makes me happy," Bard College laid claim to the only Dr. Seuss mutual appreciation society in the world, so the memorial celebration was no trivial thing. Our week of seussian meals, readings, sculpture installations and other sundry events culminated in a celebrative evening of perfomance of his works including the college president's reading of If I Ran The Zoo and Charles Stein of Music Program Zero's energetic tonal gibberish interpretation of...something seuss-like, at any rate.

For some not-for-kids-only classroom or home activities to celebrate this wonderful wubbulous day, try this link. Or there's always Seussville, the official site of all things Seuss.

But if you really want to celebrate Seuss the way he would have wanted to be celebrated, read about and then join the National Education Association's yearly nationwide reading party. NEA estimates that almost 40 million children and adults celebrated Dr. Seuss and the joy of reading last March.

Yes, get off the computer and go read a book. Any book. Read to your child, or to your cat, or to yourself out loud in your living room in your underwear and slippers. I highly recommend Green Eggs and Ham or Bartholemew and the Oobleck, but even the dictionary would do. For the good Dr. S, nothing's too small; just read one quick book and you'll feel ten feet tall.

posted by boyhowdy | 1:52 PM |

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