Library Learning Commons

"Dr. Seuss: American Icon examines one of the most influential authors and artists of the 20th century: Theodor Seuss Geisel, best known as "Dr. Seuss." Here, Philip Nel takes a fascinating look into the key aspects of Seuss's career - his poetry, politics, art, marketing, and place in the popular imagination." "Nel argues convincingly that Dr. Seuss is one of the most influential poets in America. His nonsense verse, like that of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, has changed language itself, giving us new words like "nerd." And Seuss's famously loopy artistic style - what Nel terms an "energetic cartoon surrealism"--Has been equally important, inspiring artists like filmmaker Tim Burton and illustrator Lane Smith."--Jacket.

List of illustrations and credits -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction : How to read Dr. Seuss -- ch. 1. U.S. laureate of nonsense : a Seussian poetics -- ch. 2. Dr. Seuss vs. Adolf Hitler : a political education -- ch. 3. The doc in the smock -- ch. 4. The 5,000 fingers of Dr. S. : the other sides of Dr. Seuss -- ch. 5. The Disneyfication of Dr. Seuss : faithful to profit, one hundred perfect? -- ch. 6. The cat in the hat for president : Dr. Seuss and the public imagination -- Epilogue : American icon, American iconoclast -- Notes -- Annotated bibliography -- Index.