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[CCBC-Net] GEISEL
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From: Meg Rothstein <megrothstein>
Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 11:30:55 -0600
Please take this gently, if possible-- and apologies for veering off thread.
I found myself a little taken aback by the wording that evidences assumptions over someone ending her life. Nobody can ever know exactly why someone chooses to end her life-- not even, many experts would argue, the person, herself. As I'm sure everyone knows, suicide is extremely complex, as is any terminal illness. We can't honestly talk about Helen Palmer Geisel, a tremendous editor and author in her own right, or any person, in very simple terms: "She did 'x' because of 'y'." She was also in very poor health-- very sick before she died. Nobody can say why, exactly, she died-- unless someone is an/the omnipotent and omniscient ruler of the universe. I am sure the poster did not mean to be insensitive, but it touched a nerve with me, as I am afraid it did for various members of this community who have survived the suicide of a loved one. For some, I am guessing, that loved one was Helen.
Back to the question of the Rosetta Stone pseudonym, it may well have been in reference to Audrey Stone Diamond. Does anyone know? It is an interesting question. I tried to research it this morning. I didn't find anything conclusive, but I did realize that it was a shared pseudonym between Geisel and Michael Frith, which makes me skeptical.
Meg Rothstein Madison, Wisconsin
>From: Lbhcove at aol.com
>To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] GEISEL
>Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 09:56:08 EST
>
>Since I don't have access to my files on Seuss where I'm at right now,
>I would have to research the idea of Rosetta Stone being a takeoff on
>Audrey, his second wife's name.
>
>I don't remember when his wife committed suicide over the torrid affair
>between him and Audrey, although I know he knew her for quite a while.
>She was a 'family friend!'
>
>There are some excellent adult bios of Geisel which might also lead to the
>Stone clue.
>
>Now you have my curiosities going full steam.
>
>The one thing I remember well is Geisel's attitude toward children. "You
>have'em," he said. I'll amuse 'em." He was very uncomfortable even being
>around children.
>
>LBH
>
>www.leebennetthopkinsbooks.com
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_________________________________________________________________ Don?t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/
Received on Tue 07 Feb 2006 11:30:55 AM CST
Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 11:30:55 -0600
Please take this gently, if possible-- and apologies for veering off thread.
I found myself a little taken aback by the wording that evidences assumptions over someone ending her life. Nobody can ever know exactly why someone chooses to end her life-- not even, many experts would argue, the person, herself. As I'm sure everyone knows, suicide is extremely complex, as is any terminal illness. We can't honestly talk about Helen Palmer Geisel, a tremendous editor and author in her own right, or any person, in very simple terms: "She did 'x' because of 'y'." She was also in very poor health-- very sick before she died. Nobody can say why, exactly, she died-- unless someone is an/the omnipotent and omniscient ruler of the universe. I am sure the poster did not mean to be insensitive, but it touched a nerve with me, as I am afraid it did for various members of this community who have survived the suicide of a loved one. For some, I am guessing, that loved one was Helen.
Back to the question of the Rosetta Stone pseudonym, it may well have been in reference to Audrey Stone Diamond. Does anyone know? It is an interesting question. I tried to research it this morning. I didn't find anything conclusive, but I did realize that it was a shared pseudonym between Geisel and Michael Frith, which makes me skeptical.
Meg Rothstein Madison, Wisconsin
>From: Lbhcove at aol.com
>To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] GEISEL
>Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 09:56:08 EST
>
>Since I don't have access to my files on Seuss where I'm at right now,
>I would have to research the idea of Rosetta Stone being a takeoff on
>Audrey, his second wife's name.
>
>I don't remember when his wife committed suicide over the torrid affair
>between him and Audrey, although I know he knew her for quite a while.
>She was a 'family friend!'
>
>There are some excellent adult bios of Geisel which might also lead to the
>Stone clue.
>
>Now you have my curiosities going full steam.
>
>The one thing I remember well is Geisel's attitude toward children. "You
>have'em," he said. I'll amuse 'em." He was very uncomfortable even being
>around children.
>
>LBH
>
>www.leebennetthopkinsbooks.com
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_________________________________________________________________ Don?t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/
Received on Tue 07 Feb 2006 11:30:55 AM CST
