Dare Wright

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Dare Wright

Dare Wright (December 3, 1914–2001) was a children's author, model and photographer. Born in Canada, she spent most of her childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to New York City in her twenties. In 1957, she photographed her childhood Lenci doll, Edith, along with two teddy bears, for her first children's book, titled The Lonely Doll. The book made The New York Times Best Seller List for children's books, and was followed by eighteen other stories. Make Me Real, which features another of Dare Wright's childhood dolls, and Ocracoke in The Fifties, her only book written for adults, have been published posthumously. Her most well known series of books, (The Lonely Doll series) have drawn controversy for their vague, darkly sexual undertones, which during the writing of her biography were found to have corresponded with her troubled personal life.

Dare Wright's life was one filled with sadness. Daughter to a self obsessed and possesive artist mother. Dare grew up with severe emotional problems which would eventually lead to her devestating downward spiral into alchoholism and mania. From accounts from those who knew her, one gets the picture of Dare as being a strange and beautiful, yet mysterious and troubled, child woman. Before becoming a writer Wright was a fashion model. After she had been delving into the world of photography, she decided to begin work on the Lonely Doll books.

Julian Schnabel will direct a film based on Dare Wright's life story that is slated for release in 2009.

Bibliography

• The Lonely Doll. Doubleday, (1957)
• Holiday for Edith and the Bears. Doubleday, (1958)
• The Little One. Doubleday, (1959)
• The Doll and the Kitten. Doubleday, (1960)
• Date with London. Random House, (1961)
• The Lonely Doll Learns a Lesson. Doubleday, (1961)
• Lona, a Fairy Tale. Random House, (1963)
• Edith and Mr. Bear. Random House, (1964)
• Take Me Home. Random House, (1965)
• A Gift from the Lonely Doll. Random House, (1966)
• Look at a Gull. Random House, (1967)
• Edith and Big Bad Bill. Random House, (1968)
• Look at a Colt. Random House, (1969)
• The Kitten's Little Boy. Four Winds Press, (1971)
• Edith and Little Bear Lend a Hand. Random House, (1972)
• Look at a Calf. Random House, (1974)
• Look at a Kitten. Random House, (1975)
• Edith and Midnight. Doubleday, (1978)
• Edith and the Duckling. Doubleday, (1981)

Books still in print

• The Lonely Doll. Doubleday, (1957)
• Edith and Mr. Bear. Random House, (1964)
• A Gift from the Lonely Doll. Random House, (1966)

Newly Published

• Make Me Real. Xlibris. (2007)
• Ocracoke In The Fifties. John F. Blair, (2006)

External links

• Official website
• Lenci dolls website