Weekend Onesie: Book Club - The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright

Weekend Onesie: 

Book Club

The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright

File this under childhood trauma (?) as art.

The Lonely Doll is the first in a series of children's by photographer and author Dare Wright. First published by Doubleday in 1957, it was republished in 1998 and 2012. In all, Wright wrote 19 books using a doll named Edith to work through... well, gawd only knows what.

The doll is a felt Lenci Doll from the 1920's which belonged to Dare as a child. Dare sewed all of Edith's outfits for the books. The author even went so far as to alter the doll's hair (blonde pony-tail) and eyes (to blue) to look like her own. She also put gold hoop earrings in the doll's ears, just like the ones she habitually wore, and named the doll after her mother, Edith Stevenson Wright.

The story is quite simple. Edith wishes she had a friend so she was not lonely. Mr. Bear and Little Bear eventually appear and move right in. All is well, until Mr. Bear decides to go for a walk. While home alone, Edith and Little Bear get into all sorts of mischief - rummaging through Mr. Bear's (?) closet, playing dress up, smearing on make-up and writing "Mr. Bear is just a silly old thing." in lipstick on the mirror. Mr. Bear comes home and disciplines both - taking Edith over his knee for a spanking. This causes Edith to fear that they will leave her, but Mr. Bear assures her that he will never, ever leave her.

I would like to know exactly whose make-up Edith and Little Bear were smearing on their faces! And what else is in that closet, Mr. Bear? Ruffled petticoats?  High heel shoes? What is the secret of the hidden dressing room? Does Mr. Bear have a drag persona? If so, what's the name? Honey Pott? Oh, so many unanswered questions!

Apparently Wright would continue to work through her issues... the photo of Edith gagged and tied up? That's from one of the other books in the series.

Wright was a model (on the cover of Cosmopolitan in 1951!), an actress and an avid photographer, specializing in self-portraiture. 

The doll has been reproduced a number of times, the last being in 2007, when R. John Wright produced a limited edition felt Edith doll for collectors to celebrate the book's 50th anniversary.

P.S. I know when a naughty little girl needs a spanking, too!

Ah, there's nothing like a bit of light reading.

It's good for the soul. 

Well... somebody's soul.

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque.

The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright

as read by Mrs. Morris

Author/Photographer: Dare Wright

 

Dare Wright: The Lonely Doll