Notables Not Unpleasant to Know: Letter D

In his nonsense verse “How pleasant to know Mr. Lear” the popularizer of the limerick makes amusing observations about himself. In the octaves below readers are urged to discover equally intriguing characters who, it’s hoped, will prove just as amusing and, in the end, just as “not unpleasant to know.”

Not unpleasant to know? Mr. Dahl,*
he whose tale of an oversized peach**
caused a Communist Party cabal
to blue pencil Dahl's treasonous speech.***
Roald rolled on, regardless. Pas mal!
Red "librarians" err in their reach
and their roast of the most-pleasant Dahl.
(Some don't learn: thank God other folks teach.)

     * Roald Dahl (1916-1990) 

     ** James and the Giant Peach 

     *** The Chinese Communist Party banned

Dahl’s book along with Winnie the Pooh and 

other children’s books.

Also pleasant to know: Mr. Dowd.*

Though Dowd drinks (aren't martinis allowed?),
Dowd resolves to avoid getting plowed.
(How's the Anti-Saloon League not proud?)

Elwood's pooka pal Harvey's endowed

with twin shell-likes admired by the crowd --
pals of pleasant-to-know Elwood Dowd.
(How that pair non-believers has "wow"'d!)

     

Chase** affirms he's determined -- is Dowd --
ne'er by social decree to be cowed.
(I myself more than once have heard Dowd
query patrons at Charley’s*** out loud:

"How's humanity thrive 'neath such cloud?"

Thus, to live and let live Dowd’s avowed.
Though deceased, still unbowed’s Mr. Dowd
C’est la vie! Here we D now enshroud.

     * Elwood P. Dowd (c1905- c2005) 

     ** Playwright Mary Chase wrote Harvey, 

in which Dowd is a main character.
*** One of Dowd and Harvey's favored
watering holes.

Not unpleasant to know? Mr. Drake,*

he whose "mairzy doats." (As do his "doze.")
Oh, his "kiddle, too" -- make no mistake!
(Milt's penned plenty preposterous prose!)
Single songs complete oeuvres don't make.
Still, his singular lyric's a doozy --
as is pleasant-to-know Mr. Drake.
Once you've met, you'll regret Googling "Who's he?"

     * Milton Drake (1912-2006)

Also pleasant to know: Rev'd Dodgson,*

canny crafter of cultured** canards --
e.g., Alice through Wonderland plods, un-
in-the-know she's de trop by some cards.
On our nonsense Olympus, Chuck's God's son --
and in "Hunting the Snark" are found pearls --
placed by pleasant-to-know Rev'd Dodgson
(for whose pics posed pre-puberal girls).

     * C. L. Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll.
Contrary to rumor, C. L. does not stand for
Camera Lucida, nor have allegations of
inappropriate behavior on the Rev’s part
ever been proven.

     ** Close readings will note how the
alliterative 'cultured' in this line anticipates
the similarly alliterative 'pearls placed' in
the final lines.

Not unpleasant to know: Mr. Dylan,* 

who, like Jack, climbs an anti-war hill in

which the nurs'ry-rhyme rants Joan** plays Jill in

back their protests 'gainst government killin.' 

Folks adored 'em -- two flower-choked chillen.

Now we choke: "Were you folkies jus' shillin'?

Did your, pleasant-to-know Mr. Dylan,

flesh prove weak, though your spirit waxed willin'?"

     * Bob Dylan (aka Tom Zimmerman: 1941-   )

     ** Folksinger Joan Baez