Dr. Seuss's Little-Known Book of Nudes [NOT an April Fool's Day joke!]

The Atlantic ^ | 3/2/12 | Maria Popova

[Slings and Arrows]

One hundred eight years ago today, the world welcomed Theodor Seuss Geisel, better-known as Dr. Seuss—legendary children's book author, radical ideologist, lover of reading. Among his many creative feats is a fairly unknown, fairly scandalous one: In 1939, when Geisel left Vanguard for Random House, he had one condition for his new publisher, Bennett Cerf—that he would let Geisel do an "adult" book first. The result was The Seven Lady Godivas: The True Facts Concerning History's Barest Family, which tells the story of nudist sisters who, after their father's death, pledge not to wed until each of them has "brought to the light of the world some new and worthy Horse Truth, of benefit to man."

[Slings and Arrows]

Illustrations at source - NOT pornography!

[Slings and Arrows]

Would you do it with a fox?
Would you do it wearing socks?
Would you do it with a goose?
Would you do it with a moose?

[JaguarXKE]

I’ll never look at green eggs and ham the same way again!

[Slings and Arrows]

Does that mean you DO like green eggs and ham?

[Fightin Whitey]

With a book titled “Gerald McBoing Boing”? Hmmm...maybe we should have known...

[Cicero]

I know I’ve seen it somewhere. Is it a collector’s item, I wonder?

[mylife]

Is Regina Fipple in there?
Olivia Boliver Butt?

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I know I’ve seen it somewhere. Is it a collector’s item, I wonder?

Probably Universal Studios. They have collections of his nude drawings for sale. It's not like this was some big secret.

[Ramius]

Interesting quote at the end:

The book, however, was a complete flop. Ten thousand copies were printed on the first run, and only about 2,500 were sold. The Seven Lady Godivas eventually went out of print, causing Geisel to later say:

"I attempted to draw the sexiest babes I could, but they came out looking absurd."

Absurd as they might be, and oddly unerotic despite the nudity, the illustrations are a treat, perhaps in that so-bad-it's-good kind of way, or perhaps because they offer endearing reassurance that even genius can falter.

[heartwood]

My mother has my grandfather’s copy. It’s cute, the mildest naughtiness. And in the same drawing style he used for his children’s books.

[Slings and Arrows]

I thought he was trying to be funny with the artwork. Ouch.

[Ramius]

Heh... Roger that.

[Paleo Conservative]

[Daffynition]

Careful.......watch o-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t!!!!

[Oliver Boliver Butt]

Is Regina Fipple in there? Olivia Boliver Butt?

Hey, that's my sister you're talking about!

[mylife]

Great screen name!

[grey_whiskers]

Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty!

Cheers!

[GeronL]

Doesn’t surprise me the guy is a pervert, he liked children after all.

[KarlInOhio]

Dr. Seuss's Little-Known Book of Nudes [NOT an April Fool's Day joke!]

They'll spin their trumtookas. They'll slam their slooslunkas.
They'll beat their blumbloopas. They'll wham their whowonkas.

[I still care]

It’s worth quite a bit of money. The cheapest amazon copy is selling for about $119 dollars.

I’ve seen it before, think it’s sort of cute.

BTW, according to the amazon pictures, the 7 Lady Godivas are

Gertrude
Mitzi
Arabella
Dorcas
Hedwig
Teenie
Gussie
and Lulu.

[I still care]

[Salamander]

“Hedwig”?

Was the angry inch in there, too?

[Windflier]

Doesn’t surprise me the guy is a pervert, he liked children after all.

"Pervert"? Because he admired the female form? Most conservatives consider that normal for the male of the species. Doesn't make him a pervert by any stretch.

[jocon307]

“And in the same drawing style he used for his children’s books.”

Oh dear.

You don’t want that, you want the Vargas girls. Those gals got it going on!

[Slings and Arrows]

Occupational hazard.

[Slings and Arrows]

You, sir, win one Internets.

[Slings and Arrows]

My client pleads Temporary Inanity.

[Slings and Arrows]

They'll spin their trumtookas. They'll slam their slooslunkas. They'll beat their blumbloopas. They'll wham their whowonkas

"Good times, good times."

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Thanks Slings and Arrows.

[mountainbunny]

I have two copies. It’s cute. Not offensive. The kids were allowed to read it when they were little. Didn’t harm them in any way.

Not Dr. Suess’s best. Not his worst.

[Slings and Arrows]

They may be worth a bit of money. You might want to investigate.

[Erasmus]

“Nude tripping and falling down a staircase.”

[cva66snipe]

My dad let me read some rather colorful writers work when I was about 13 or so. Most Freepers have seen The Christmas Story few I bet have read it. LOL Jean Shepherd wrote adult stories and Christmas Story and Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss movies were adapted to family TV. The written versions are priceless and more in character with what a person would expect in the venue. The old man in the written versions was a riot. Shel Silverstein was another good one who could write either for adults or kids.

[aruanan]

Dr. Seuss's Little-Known Book of Nudes [NOT an April Fool's Day joke!]

I saw these at the Dr. Seuss exhibit. They were pretty much nothing compared to some of his other stuff. As far as the subject matter goes, it was less than PG.

[aruanan]

Is that a take off on Nude Descending a Staircase?

[TheOldLady]

“Even genius can falter.”

[Daffynition]

Yes! :)

[Slings and Arrows]

Every Sean Connery has his Zardoz.

[Moonmad27]

That version of descending a staircase is hilarious! Years ago Looney Tunes artist Chuck Jones did portraits of famous impressionist paintings with cartoon characters — look up his Nude Duck Descending a Staircase with Daffy. (I bought his Vincent Van Coyote instead).

[TheOldLady]

I love Zardoz.

The music, the acting, the story, and the cinematography are woven into a tapestry of perfection with internal consistency.

It is a lovely movie in every way.

Criticizing Connery for acting (beautifully) in a "loin cloth" was petty, and it appealed more to giggling idiots and children than to anyone who could intelligently critique the movie.

Get your thumb off my last nerve!   ;-P

[Slings and Arrows]

No movie shall ever exceed the masterpiece that was Space Mutiny.

[TheOldLady]

Dammit Slings! You got me, ROFL!

You win again, and you're mean for beating up on an old lady! I like John Phillip Law, RIP, too.

[Slings and Arrows]

He was obviously having fun in that one - you could see the tooth marks on the scenery.

[TheOldLady]

Actually, Hubby and I enjoy a good stinkeroo, as I believe I've told you before. We rate the so-bad-it's-great movies highly. They're so much fun.

Zombie Strippers springs to mind.

We haven't seen Space Mutiny for a loooong time, so I put it in Hubby's Netflix queue. It has some 5-star reviews there, LOL! We do love a good laugh.

[Slings and Arrows]

If you have not seen the MST3K version, I highly recommend it.

[TheOldLady]

The MST 3000 version is available on Netflix as well. Perhaps I'll switch them after I ask Hubby this evening which one he'd prefer.

LOL! We may be watching it this Friday night.

WYWH.

[Slings and Arrows]

Nothing would please me more than sharing your pain.

Say hello to Big McLargeHuge for me.

[TheOldLady]

If you're referring to Hubby, who is six inches taller and 80 pounds heavier than you are, I'd be happy to say hi to him for you.   ;-)

[Slings and Arrows]

It was a Space Mutiny reference. If you watch the MST3K version you'll get it. If not...you'll still probably get it.

[TheOldLady]

Vague memories are resurfacing. I'll be waving at the screen for you when I see him. "Slings and Arrows [your real name will actually be used] says, 'Hello!'"