October 24, 2004
Its a Doll Revolution
Last spring, the 'rents sent a box of books. They were cleaning out their attic. Most of the books were children's classics — "Charlotte's Web", "Goodnight Moon", "Mother Goose". But they also sent a real curio called "Holiday for Edith and the Bears". Flipping throught it, I was initially amused. It seemed kitschy. I've since learned there's a lot more to this book.
"Holiday for Edith and the Bears" features a blonde doll, Edith, and two teddy bears. Photographed in black and white, these three friends are posed playing at the beach. Edith's long hair blows in the ocean breeze. The bears wade in the surf. Its quietly surreal.
Maybe its the medium. Black and white photography ain't the current norm for children's books. But also its something about the dolls. These days we, as readers, are used to vivid animation in children's books. In comparison to Little Miss Spider, for instance, Edith is a stuffed shirt.
Also in Wright's book, set changes drive the narrative. Mis-en-scene is extremely important. And overall I think that's the key to what's so strange. Its the author's attempt to create a believable microcosm that's so haunting. After looking through the book a second time, all I could think was, who created this?
Fast forward to this weekend. While wrapping picture frames in newspaper, I stumbled upon this article from last Sunday's NYT. In September, Henry Holt published a biography of "Holiday for Edith and the Bears" creator Dare Wright. Also in the past 5 yeras, Houghton Mifflin has brought several Wright title's back into print, "The Lonely Doll", "Edith and Mr. Bear: A Lonely Doll Story", and "A Gift from the Lonely Doll". Its a doll revolution.
Obviously over the past two days this subject has become a minor obsession. From what I've learned, Dare Wright was a fashion model and photographer. Alternatley bullied and ignored by an eccentric mother, Wright began creating "The Lonely Doll" books in the late 1950s. Was this troubling relationship the key to Wright's creativity? I guess I'll have to read her biography to find out. The main question now is why the hell did my parents send me this book?