Now in paperback, the definitive, fascinating, all-reaching biography of Dr. Seuss.
Born in Kansas and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brian Jay Jones has a degree in English from the University of New Mexico, which he immediately parlayed into a brief career as a manager of a comic book store before getting into politics and writing. For nearly ten years, he worked as a policy advisor in the United States Senate. He has also served as an associate state superintendent of education for the state of Arizona, a chief of staff for a think tank in Washington, D.C., and as a legislative aide for several elected county officials. Brian currently lives in Virginia with his wife and dog, where he serves as the Associate Director of the Great Lives biographer speakers program at the University of Mary Washington.
Praise for Becoming Dr. Seuss
Longlisted for
the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Nonfiction
"Becoming Dr. Seuss is more compelling than mere
pop hagiography; it is sweeping in scope, unstinting in detail, and
willing to criticize or contextualize when needed."-The New
Yorker
"Nuanced, profoundly human, and painstakingly researched, this
496-page biography is perhaps the most complete, multidimensional
look at the life of one of the most beloved authors and
illustrators of our time. . . . While it is a standard biography in
general terms, Jones goes above and beyond to contextualize Geisel
in the larger picture at every moment of his life. [A] fascinating
read that discusses the origin of the humorous, simple rhymes,
bizarre creatures, and magic that characterized Geisel's books
while also showing the author's more radical side as an unemployed
wanderer who abandoned his doctoral studies, a successful
advertising man, and a political cartoonist."-NPR
"A rich, anecdotal biography . . . Whether readers are
familiar with Dr. Seuss books or not, they will find this biography
absorbing and fascinating."-Kirkus Reviews (starred
review)
"This attractive biography should be on the bedside reading table
of thousands of Dr. Seuss lovers, and deservedly so."-Library
Journal (starred review)
"A warm, defining biography of one of the most beloved writers of
this or any time."-LitHub
"One of the most anticipated books of Spring
2019."-Publishers Weekly
"While acknowledging Geisel's flaws and debts to others,
Jones convincingly shows him as a transformative figure in
children's publishing, both as an author and cofounder of the
Beginner Books imprint. Fans of Dr. Seuss will find much to love in
this candid but admiring portrait."-Publishers Weekly
"One of the buzziest books being released this May 2019."-O, The
Oprah Magazine
"Enjoyable. Lively."-The Wall Street Journal
"Profiling cultural empires and their instigators is
familiar territory for Jones, who also wrote Jim Henson: The
Biography and George Lucas: A Life. It's clear that
Jones is experienced in extracting details from the most innocuous
letter or interview, fleshing out the lives of cultural
groundbreakers we've long admired. As all successful biographers
should do, Jones doesn't cheerlead his own writing style by adding
unnecessary flourishes or similes; he lets the subject's actions
and quotes energize the book. Thankfully, Geisel is a hilarious and
insightful character whose love of literature is almost as
infectious as his timeless rhymes."-The Washington Post
"A May 2019 Parade Pick"
"1 of 9 notable releases over the next two weeks."-Vulture.com
"A loving portrait of a singularly creative man, whose influence is
as strong today as ever."-AV Club
"Finally! The solution to the mystery of where Dr. Seuss earned his
PhD. Brian Jay Jones also reveals the true identity of
Chrysanthemum Pearl; the etymology of the word nerd; the
political leanings of Horton and Yertle; and the relationship of
Krazy Kat to the one in the hat. It comes as no surprise that
Theodor Geisel was a born storyteller; prying truth from fact,
Jones pins our favorite fabulist nimbly, colorfully, and splendidly
to the page."-Stacy Schiff, author of The Witches
"Readers of Becoming Dr. Seuss may be astonished to learn in this
rollicking ride of a biography that Theodor Seuss Geisel-progenitor
of the most anarchic animals of all time-was himself a radically
bizarre creation, every bit as strange and emotionally
uncoordinated as a Snoo or a Sneetch. Childless, chain-smoking, and
cocktail-swilling, bawdy and argumentative, Geisel got his unlikely
start promoting Standard Oil's fly-killing insecticide (his ad
campaign featured the immortal tag line 'Quick, Henry! The Flit!');
drawing coarse political cartoons (sometimes racist or misogynist);
and serving as a World War II understudy to Frank Capra, making
films teaching grunts to evade death and mosquitoes. His epic
transformation into one of the most beloved and bestselling
children's writers of all time, winner of Oscars and a Pulitzer, is
a poignant, affecting tale of a man who mastered the art of
concision through imagination and sheer toil yet could never bring
such exactitude to his own life, callously replacing his wife and
editor of forty years, a suicide, with her rival. In Jones's
telling, the Seussian legacy emerges triumphant, elevating the
power of children's literature. 'I no longer write for children,'
Geisel said proudly, at the end of his life. 'I write for
people.'"-Caroline Fraser, author of Prairie Fires: The
American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Once again, Brian Jay Jones takes us on a beguiling deep dive into
the life of one of the leading lights of American popular culture.
Written with verve and warmth and a close attention to both the
life and the times in which it was lived, Becoming Dr. Seuss brims
with charm and humor from beginning to end."-William Souder,
author of On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel
Carson
"Brian Jay Jones offers a richly detailed, admiring biography of
Theodor Geisel, the man whom children and adults the world over
would come to love as Dr. Seuss, and goes on to say [Jones]
provides a meticulously detailed yet thoroughly engaging look at
the life and artistry of this American original."-BookPage
"How the Seuss found his juice. The real-life tales that sparked
America's favorite children's author."-The New York Post
"Worthy of a complete read."-New York Journal of Books
"An important and interesting book about an author who greatly
influenced our culture and most certainly our educational
system."-The Missourian
"What this biography does best is account for Geisel's demanding
creative habits. He was dedicated to work and, when he had the
power and leverage, he fussed over every detail of his books, from
the size of the page and the font to the placement of text and
picture. He insisted on the exact colors he required, and his
longtime publisher, Random House, usually sensibly let him have his
own way; his titles eventually sold in the hundreds of
millions."-Christian Science Monitor
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