Jacob M. Held - More Dr. Seuss and Philosophy

More Dr. Seuss
and Philosophy

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Held, Jacob M., 1977 editor.

Title: More Dr. Seuss and philosophy : additional hunches in bunches / edited by Jacob M. Held.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017051584 (print) | LCCN 2017060453 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538101346 (electronic) | ISBN 9781538101339 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Seuss, Dr.Criticism and interpretation. | Philosophy in literature. | Childrens stories, AmericanHistory and criticism.

Classification: LCC PS3513.E2 (ebook) | LCC PS3513.E2 Z784 2018 (print) | DDC 813/.52dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017051584

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my favorite child.

Contrary to appearances, this book is not a proper sequel to Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! Rather, this book is an alternative vision of what that book might have been. When I first conceived Dr. Seuss and Philosophy, I had no home for it. Editors and presses Id previously worked for were not interested. I shopped it around, sending proposals and emails to presses that I believed would be receptive. I found Jon Sisk and his colleagues at Rowman & Littlefield, and they agreed to gamble on the book. But they were clear: they were not interested in a series. The book was to be a one-time deal. So I put together a conservative project, an introduction to philosophy using the works of Dr. Seuss as a vehicle. It wouldnt be a random collection of essays that just happened to all discuss Dr. Seuss in some fashion; it would be intentionally structured as an introduction to main themes and topics in the history of philosophy. To make sure it was done well, I reached out to my small circle of trusted colleagues to find a full complement of authors. Where I couldnt find an author, I wrote the chapter. The book took shape and turned out quite well. I was pleased. But there were chapters and ideas that werent written or developed for various reasons. But that first Seuss book was produced to be a general introduction to philosophy through Dr. Seuss.

There was another way it could have all gone: the book could have been a guidebook to living an examined, flourishing life, structured to intentionally walk the reader through philosophy with me, the editor, as a guide. As the years have worn on since the first book was published, more and more its this version of the book Ive wanted to see produced. Then circumstances started to line up. The first book was successful. And weve had a successful, collaborative working relationship for several years. And then, finally, I got the email: Would you be interested in doing a second Seuss book? Yes, I would.

The first book was good, but Id had an alternative idea all along, and it wasnt until recently that I felt comfortable with trying to pull it off. Ive done enough academically, with truly brilliant and amazing people, to have fantastic authors willing to collaborate with me and help bring this alternative vision to life. So heres my alternative version of the Seuss book. Not a sequel, but rather a couldve been that I was able to make a finally is. A second chance to do it the other way.

More Dr. Seuss and Philosophy is intended to be a handbook for living well, one that uses Dr. Seusss works as a common narrative or touchstone for readers. The book is intentionally structured to walk the reader through issues pertaining to living well as an individual, in relation to others, and as a member of society. It opens with chapters on the value of literature and imagination to focus the readers attention on the fact that in reading Seuss you are already beginning your journey of self-discovery and considering issues fundamental to living a praiseworthy life. Some of these authors have an agendathey are promoting a viewpoint, one echoed in Seuss even if not intentionally Seusssand the book has an agenda to promote a way of living: a reflective, engaged, humane life. Ive intentionally invited and included each of these authors for the purpose of writing what they wrote. Theyre the best. This edited book is the result of many minds coming together for a common purpose, to present to you the best of philosophy in an accessible format as a handbook to lifes journey. But your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!

Many of Dr. Seusss works are not paginated, which can make citing them tricky. Luckily, the books are quite short, so if anyone wants to know on what page a reference occurs, they merely have to flip through until they find it. So, in order to make things simpler and to avoid vast amounts of endnotes, all references to Seusss works will be parenthetical according to the key below. All works are published by Random House.

• The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (Hats)

• And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (Mulberry)

• Bartholomew and the Oobleck (Oobleck)

• The Butter Battle Book (Butter)

• The Cat in the Hat (Cat)

• Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? (Lucky)

• Fox in Socks (Fox)

• Gertrude McFuzz in Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories (McFuzz)

• Green Eggs and Ham (Eggs)

• Happy Birthday to You! (Birthday)

• Horton and the Kwuggerbug in Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories (Kwuggerbug)

• Horton Hatches the Egg (Hatches)

• Horton Hears a Who! (Horton)

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Grinch)

• Hunches in Bunches (Hunches)

• I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew (Trouble)

• If I Ran the Circus (Circus)

• If I Ran the Zoo (Zoo)

• The Lorax (Lorax)

• McElligots Pool (Pool)

• Oh, the Places Youll Go! (Places)

• Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!