Latest news with #Seuss
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- General
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. Affairs: For years, I juggled co-parenting, dating and taking care of a family cat I didn't like
In the chaos of divorce and shared custody with my two little girls, my ex-husband got a cat, and I thought by promoting uniformity between the two homes, I should too. The problem was this: I didn't want a cat. I didn't particularly like cats. My ex did. Although my decision was fueled by single-parent shame, his decision was matter-of-fact. For a decade, we were harried Los Angeles co-parents, entwined by conversations involving camp sign-ups, parent/teacher conferences, pediatrician appointments, dividing spring break weeks and the antidotes of two troublesome felines. My ex's cat, Champ, chronically peed on his couch and spent most of its daylight hours hiding under a chair. My cat, Seuss, behaved like a jailed convict, seeking any opportunity for escape from my apartment. I was continually scaling walls and dragging him, covered in engine grease, out from under a car in the morning after he slipped out the front door left ajar. Each time he ran away, I prayed I wouldn't have to return from my search-and-rescue efforts with a limp body to teach my girls about death. A very small voice in the back of my mind began to secretly hope he'd never return. Across town in Culver City, my ex couldn't get Champ to go outside at all and was considering a hefty dose of anxiety meds for his cat. My pet loyalty waned three years in. I was done scooping the litter, lint-rolling hair from my clothes and booking expensive cat condos when we took holidays. Champ was peeing in the girls' backpacks, and Seuss had started spraying to mark territory. After one 'Exorcist'-like incident, I lost it. I stuffed him in the cat carrier and informed the girls he was going back to the no-kill adoption place where we had a lifetime return policy. He needs more friends, I told them. I texted my ex: 'I'm returning the cat.' 'Then let's adopt him a friend,' my older daughter begged on the ride. Seuss was silent, sensing his fate. Upon arrival at the shelter on the Westside, I sat in the lobby with the cat in the carrier, thinking. I desperately wanted to do good as a parent. I didn't want to be the parent who gave the cat away. 'Have you made your decision, ma'am?' the volunteer asked. 'Give me a minute,' I said, and then I called a friend who was a pet lover. 'I can't do this anymore,' I wailed. 'I bought him for the wrong reasons. I don't need uniformity. I want out.' She talked me down from my hysteria, and somehow, like cat people can, convinced me to honor my commitment. With the cat and kids in the car, I made my somber way home. I texted my ex: 'I couldn't do it.' For five more years, I accepted my pet ownership, especially knowing he was a de facto emotional support animal for my now-16-year-old daughter. Despite her asthma, week upon week, after her return from her dad's, she would wear Seuss like a fur stole around her neck. 'I missed him so much,' she'd say. Her younger sister was nonplussed. She refused to be responsible for cat care. 'It's not my cat,' she said. Men I dated would meet the cat, and I would solemnly explain I wasn't really a cat person. 'Then why do you have a cat?' one guy asked, as Seuss sniffed his pant cuff suspiciously. I prayed he wouldn't spray. I moved to a house in South L.A., the land of feral cats. Thinking Seuss would thrive in a yard, he took to the streets, returning home filthy and ragged. He would eat and then meow to leave. Lying in bed at night, I would hear the thump of the neighborhood cats landing on the roof, their shadows on the fence passing my illuminated windowpane. Then one day, without ceremony, my ex gave his cat away. He got a dog. My daughters didn't give him any flack, and he didn't make room for it. When I suggested I too was reconsidering my commitment to the cat when my daughter went to college, she freaked out. 'You can't! You can give the cat to dad!' I knew that was a ridiculous suggestion. Why would her dad, who just became cat-free, take on my cat? I was annoyed. Why did he get to give the cat away, but I was stuck for life? I realized closing this chapter of cat ownership was going to be more challenging than I thought. Within that year, my life changed. I fell in love, bought a condo and was spending more time at the house of my partner who was allergic to cats. Seuss was often left alone. A pet should live in a home where they're loved and not barely tolerated. I wanted to broach the subject of giving up the cat again. I called my ex and asked him to back me on my decision. Our relationship was now one of the support and friendship that can come from the hard trials of co-parenting, especially raising children in a city where so many parents look like they are doing it better than you. 'You aren't happy,' he said. 'You get to give away the cat.' I called my daughter at college and expressed my intentions to give Seuss away unless she could find him a temporary home until she got an apartment. 'I'm empty-nesting like many parents,' I said, hoping for sympathy. She was furious. It caused a painful rift between us for months. I advocated for the new phase of my mid-life to be pet-free, and she accused me of abandoning 'the family pet.' In my heart, I knew I couldn't do anything until she let go of a family dynamic once created when she was 7. The two cats, the two homes, the two parents. I loved her too much to make a move without her approval. Two months later, on a return from college, she sat with me at the kitchen table and announced: 'You can give the cat away. I care about my relationship with you more.' I exhaled. I was awed by her maturity and grace. I advocated for myself, and she heard my appeal. Drama-free, the cat was returned and readopted. Hopefully he has not run away. The author, a book coach in Los Angeles, wrote the self-help book 'No Longer Denying Sexual Abuse: Making the Choices That Can Change Your Life.' She writes a weekly Substack column called Give Yourself Permission at L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@ You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.
Times
30-04-2025
- General
- Times
Gen Z wishes goodnight to bedtime stories for children
According to Dr Seuss, 'you're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child'. But when it comes to the bonding experience of sharing a story together, research suggests that Gen Z parents are less likely to read to their children than previous generations. Parents aged 28 and under, who are the first generation to have grown up with social media, were the least likely to value reading out loud to a small child as a 'fun' experience. The research also found that parents were more likely to read to girls than boys. Only 29 per cent of boys aged two and under were treated to daily story time with an adult, compared with 44 per
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What is National Kickball Day? Here's how to celebrate on April 17
National Kickball Day, celebrated annually on April 17, invites individuals of all ages to relive the joy and camaraderie of this classic playground game. The history of National Kickball Day — and kickball Established in 2014 by the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA), the day emphasizes the sport's enduring appeal and encourages community participation. The game of kickball, meanwhile, was originally called 'kick baseball' (this tracks) by its inventor, Nicholas C. Seuss, back in 1917. Seuss was the Supervisor of Cincinnati Parks and Playgrounds in Ohio and he envisioned 'kick baseball' as a simpler version of baseball that could teach children the fundamentals of the game with less equipment. While kickball's roots are in the United States, that simplicity propelled it to international popularity over time. In South Korea, the game is known as "foot baseball," and in Japan, elementary school students play a version called "kick base." How to celebrate National Kickball Day National Kickball Day serves as an opportunity to engage in physical activity, foster teamwork, and enjoy outdoor fun. Here are some ways to celebrate: Organize a friendly game. Gather your friends, family, or colleagues for a match at a local park or playground. Or, make it unfriendly – challenge your least favorite neighbors or work frenemy. As long as kickball is involved, you're celebrating correctly. Join a league. Kickball leagues are still wildly popular in cities and suburban settings alike. Explore your local programs to connect with other enthusiasts. Refresh your memory on the rules. Before your games, familiarize yourself with the official rules of kickball to enhance your playing experience. Share the fun on social media. Brag about your greatest goal ever using the hashtag #NationalKickballDay. By participating in National Kickball Day, individuals can reconnect with a beloved pastime, promote physical well-being, and strengthen community bonds. So, lace up your sneakers, grab a bright red rubber ball, and kickstart the festivities on April 17!
USA Today
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Born on March 2? Here's how you can get a free book to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day.
Born on March 2? Here's how you can get a free book to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day. Dr. Seuss Enterprises is upping the ante this year, offering even more free books in celebration of Dr. Seuss Day. Last year, the organization pledged to give a free book to every child born on March 2, 2024. This year, anyone in the U.S. with a March 2 birthday – from any year – can receive a free, personalized copy of 'The Cat in the Hat.' Alternatively, eligible readers can choose to donate their complimentary copy through First Book, a nonprofit that provides educational resources to children in underserved communities. 'Fostering learning and development through the joy of reading is central to our mission at Dr. Seuss Enterprises,' says Susan Brandt, president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, in a statement. 'The expansion of the Birthday Pledge allows us to bring Dr. Seuss books to many more readers because, 'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.'' How to snag a free book on Dr. Seuss Day Any U.S. resident with a March 2 birthday is eligible to receive a complimentary copy of 'The Cat in the Hat.' To get yours, register at and choose whether you'd like Dr. Seuss Enterprises to send your book to you or donate it to a child in an underserved community. What is Dr. Seuss Day? Celebrated every year on March 2, Dr. Seuss day honors the beloved children's book author behind classics like 'The Cat in the Hat,' 'Green Eggs and Ham' and 'Oh the Places You'll Go!' Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on that day in 1904. Sunday's celebration would mark his 121st birthday. For over 20 years, National Education Association's Read Across America Day coincided with Dr. Seuss Day, until 2019, when the partnership contract ended. Now, though the two are still celebrated on or around the same day, NEA has pivoted to focus their annual reading day on diverse children's books. This year, Read Across America Day is March 3. The shift came in the wake of controversy and criticism over the portayal of people of color in some Seuss books. On Dr. Seuss Day in 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced it would cease sales of six books because of the way they illustrated people 'in ways that are hurtful and wrong.' This year, Dr. Seuss Enterprises will celebrate March 2 with the ninth annual 'Tackle Reading' event, a partnership between Creative Minds Publications and NFL players where athletes will read a beloved Seuss title at a school-wide assembly. Participating schools will also receive a collection of Random House Children's Books and each child will receive their own Dr. Seuss book. What is the 'best' children's book?: Kids, parents, authors on what makes a classic Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Telegraph
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The best poetry books of 2025 so far
February: frank: sonnets and Modern Poetry by Diane Seuss Alongside Terrance Hayes, Diane Seuss has a strong case to be considered as the most influential American poet of the last 10 years. A former social worker, over six collections she has become renowned for her fearless excavation of her life in her work. In conversation with poet Hanif Abdurraqib last year, she said of her process: 'Being in movement, being in the midst of everyday life, is my main jam… it counters loneliness to be able to hear my thoughts separate from my actions.' But nor does she want to 'interrupt the loneliness. I think for me it's essential to being able to write.' It's an approach that has seen Seuss garlanded with awards. Her last collection, frank: sonnets, won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. This, and her newest book, Modern Poetry, now arrive in the UK thanks to the independent press As the title hints, Frank O'Hara is the presiding spirit of frank. The book is also told with frankness; it's a vivid account of the past few decades of Seuss's life, from her upbringing in rural Michigan through to the These are also very much sonnets. They might not look like their traditional Shakespearean or Petrarchan brethren, but in Seuss's 14 lines – 'one frame in a long strip / of celluloid' – you can see arguments being repeatedly probed, turns being made. High and low cultural references – one poem references Modern Poetry gives readers more space to breathe. Inspired by a poetry textbook of the same name which she read as a child, it's a condensed history of Seuss's reading and learning and what this has given her – primarily, the armour to survive and live in a hostile world. Her reading is smartly selective: as she writes in 'My Education', 'I read most of Joseph Conrad, having figured out / that I could find some things repulsive and still / require them for my project. My project / was my life.' At times it's as though you're eavesdropping on a particularly spiky seminar: it's invigorating to see her stripping away the pretension often associated with writing poetry. While the dominant mode in the book is free verse, Seuss is not above deploying her technique in ways that suggest something of an ars poetica. She opens 'Comma' with: To never be touched again. That line has a sound. Hear it? I don't want to bring a story to it. Not even an image. It has a sound. Listen. Part of Seuss's significance has been because she writes 'Of the With her formidable voice, Seuss is one of the most important poets writing now. But that's a claim she would, no doubt, puncture and yet also agree with: 'I had no God-given authority. / I had to self-generate it, like God. / At some point, God had to take the leap / to become God.' RD Rishi Dastidar's most recent poetry collection is Neptune's Projects. Modern Poetry and frank: sonnets are published by Fitzcarraldo at £12.99 each. To order your copy, call 0330 173 0523 or visit January: There Lives A Young Girl in Me Who Will Not Die by Tove Ditlevsen 'There lives a young girl in me who will not die,' writes Ditlevsen died by suicide at the age of 58 in 1976. She was one of the most famous writers in Denmark, but only became well-known to Anglophone readers when the English translation of her celebrated Copenhagen Trilogy (1967-71) was Ditlevsen, however, once wrote that she did much of her best work in poetry. There Lives a Young Girl in Me Who Will Not Die, the first English translation of those poems, starts with selections from A Girl's Mind, published in 1939 when she was 21, and ends with poems from To a Little Girl, published posthumously in 1978. Throughout, we see the development of a poetic voice, as she moves from traditional rhyme-schemes and forms into a greater level of enjambment and markedly shorter lines. Her images become more abstract. New motifs emerge. Divorce, for instance, appears late, yet it becomes one of her finest poetic subjects. Poems about anxiety and depression recur, as do those about wanting to be free of obligations. 'Loving badly,' as she calls it, is another great subject: wanting someone close then pushing them away. 'I often wish he would leave,' she laments, 'and so become / distinctly near.' This recurrence of theme is no mere repetition: it's an ethos that defines Ditlevsen's oeuvre. She's never done with the complex dance between who she used to be and who she is now. The spectres of her childhood walk through this book: her mother, her father, the streets where they lived, a whole lost world that seems somehow still present. She's interested in writing about what is commonly called 'trauma' – how childhood wounds shape adulthood, and adults' struggles are passed down the generations – yet she manages to make this chain of exchange livelier, darker, and stranger than many discussions of trauma do. In one poem, she describes the way she turned away from her mother, disgusted by her smell; her mother 'gave up once and for all / on the project of loving me'. Her own children then seem to turn away from her, as though she had taken on her mother's smell – and her son, now, is fond of his grandmother. 'Love often / skips a generation –' she writes, matter-of-fact; but that dash hangs like an open door, gesturing at the estrangement and heartbreak that might lie beyond. 'In childhood's long darkened night / burn little, flickering lanterns': so one early poem in this collection begins. That may be what Ditlevsen does best, emerging from childhood's coffin to and bringing these lanterns up close to the strange moments where past and present collide. Her poems read, at their best, like illuminations, transfiguring her life again and again. SH There Lives a Young Girl In Me Who Will Not Die is published by Penguin at £9.99. To order your copy, call 0330 173 0523 or visit
