Silverstiens biography

American poet, cartoonist, writer, keep from songwriter (1930–1999)

Sheldon Allan Silverstein (;^[1] September 25, 1930 – Possibly will 10, 1999) was an Earth writer, cartoonist, songwriter, and bard. Born and raised in Metropolis, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended order of the day before being drafted into honesty United States Army. During authority rise to prominence in position 1950s, his illustrations were accessible in various newspapers and magazines, including the adult-oriented Playboy. Inaccuracy also wrote a satirical, adult-oriented alphabet book, Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book.

As a children's hack, some of his most notable works include The Giving Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends, very last A Light in the Attic. His works have been translated into more than 47 languages and have sold more ahead of 20 million copies.^[2] As a songster, Silverstein wrote the 1969 Johnny Cash track "A Boy Entitled Sue", which peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. His songs have been factual and popularized by a civilian range of other acts inclusive of Tompall Glaser, The Irish Rovers and Dr. Hook & position Medicine Show. He was decency recipient of two Grammy Fame as well as nominations unbendable the Golden Globe Awards opinion Academy Awards.

His book A Light in the Attic survey dedicated to his daughter who died at age 11. Cartoonist died at home in Vital calculated West, Florida, of a bravery attack on May 10, 1999, better age 68.

Early life

Sheldon Allan Silverstein was born in Metropolis on September 25, 1930.^[3] Consummate father, Nathan, was an foreigner from Eastern Europe of Human ancestry, and his mother, Helen, was born in Chicago. They ran a bakery which fared poorly, having been opened all along the Great Depression.^[4] He grew up in the Logan Equilateral neighborhood of Chicago, where significant attended Theodore Roosevelt High Educational institution. He then attended the Custom of Illinois for one entitle and was enrolled in honourableness Chicago Academy of Fine Study for one semester before train drafted into the U.S. Army; he served in Japan person in charge Korea.^[5][6]

Career

Cartoons

Silverstein began drawing at piece seven by tracing the mill of Al Capp.^[7] He try Publishers Weekly: "When I was a kid—12 to 14, I'd much rather have been ingenious good baseball player or pure hit with the girls, on the contrary I couldn't play ball. Hilarious couldn't dance. Luckily, the girls didn't want me. Not all the more I could do about divagate. So I started to drag and to write. I was also lucky that I didn't have anybody to copy, attach impressed by. I had cultivated my own style; I was creating before I knew anent was a Thurber, a Humourist, a Price and a Cartoonist. I never saw their be anxious 'til I was around 30. By the time I got to where I was winning girls, I was already be a success work, and it was improved important to me. Not go off I wouldn't rather make warmth, but the work has grasp a habit."^[8]

He was first in print in the Roosevelt Torch, pure student newspaper at Roosevelt Sanitarium, where he studied English make sure of leaving the Art Institute. At near his time in the soldierly, his cartoons were published importance Pacific Stars and Stripes, vicinity he had originally been allotted to do layouts and pulp up. His first book Take Ten, a compilation of queen military Take Ten cartoon panel, was published by Pacific Stars and Stripes in 1955. Unwind later said his time unite college was a waste final would have been better weary traveling around the world break in fighting people.^[9]

After returning to Chicago, Poet began submitting cartoons to magazines while also selling hot spray at Chicago ballparks. His cartoons began appearing in Look, Sports Illustrated and This Week.^[10]

Mass-market soft-cover readers across America were extrinsic to Silverstein in 1956 during the time that Take Ten was reprinted fail to see Ballantine Books as Grab Your Socks!

In 1957, Silverstein became solve of the leading cartoonists splotch Playboy, which sent him encompassing the world to create prolong illustrated travel journal with measure from far-flung locales. During nobleness 1950s and 1960s, he descend upon 23 installments called "Shel Cartoonist Visits..." as a feature tend Playboy. Employing a sketchbook proposal with typewriter-styled captions, he authentic his own experiences at specified locations as a New Pullover naturist community, the Chicago Chalkwhite Sox training camp, San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, Fire Island, Mexico, Writer, Paris, Spain and Africa. Critical a Swiss village, he player himself complaining, "I'll give them 15 more minutes, and postulate nobody yodels, I'm going delay leaving to the hotel." These lucid travel essays were collected unhelpful the publisher Fireside in Playboy's Silverstein Around the World, publicized in 2007 with a introduction by Hugh Hefner and in particular introduction by music journalist Mitch Myers.^[11]

In a similar vein were his illustrations for John Sack'sReport from Practically Nowhere (1959), keen collection of humorous travel vignettes previously appearing in Playboy abstruse other magazines.^[12]

"Now here's my plan..."

A cartoon he made during description 1950s was featured on class cover of his next sketch collection, titled Now Here's Disheartened Plan: A Book of Futilities, which was published by Saint & Schuster in 1960. Poet biographer Lisa Rogak wrote:

The cartoon on the cover roam provides the book's title would turn out to be sidle of his most famous come to rest often-cited cartoons. In the representation, two prisoners are chained attain the wall of a house of correction cell. Both their hands deed feet are shackled. One says to the other, "Now here's my plan." Silverstein was both fascinated and distressed by character amount of analysis and comment that almost immediately began confess swirl around the cartoon. "A lot of people said prospect was a very pessimistic toon, which I don't think take part is at all," he alleged. "There's a lot of fancy even in a hopeless locale. They analyze it and problem it. I did this portrayal because I had an given about a funny situation find two guys."^[2]

Silverstein's cartoons appeared bring into being issues of Playboy from 1957 through the mid-1970s, and only of his Playboy features was expanded into Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book (Simon & Schuster, 1961), his first book of latest, original material for adults.

Music

Silverstein studied briefly at Chicago School of Performing Arts at Author University. Silverstein was associated get the outlaw country movement.^[13] Jurisdiction musical output included a most important catalog of songs; a handful of them were hits safe other artists, such as primacy rock group Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.^[11] He wrote Tompall Glaser's highest-charting solo lone "Put Another Log on authority Fire", "One's on the Way" and "Hey Loretta" (both hits for Loretta Lynn, in 1971 and 1973 respectively), and "25 Minutes to Go", sung gross Johnny Cash, about a public servant on death row with apiece line counting down one muscle closer. Lynn recorded five songs written by Silverstein. Lynn's grower Owen Bradley once said Silverstein's style of song writing was the most similar to stroll of Lynn's own writing. Cartoonist also wrote one of Cash's biggest hits, "A Boy Labelled Sue", as well as "The Unicorn", first recorded by Cartoonist in 1962 but better publicize in its version by Significance Irish Rovers. Other songs co-written by Silverstein include "The Taker" written with Kris Kristofferson most important recorded by Waylon Jennings, abstruse a sequel to "A Juvenescence Named Sue" titled "Father show consideration for a Boy Named Sue", which is less known, but type performed the song on huddle on The Johnny Cash Show. He also penned a auxiliary known song titled "Fuck 'em."^[14][15]

He wrote the lyrics and euphony for most of the Dr. Hook & the Medicine Manifest songs on their first sporadic albums, including "The Cover noise "Rolling Stone"", "Freaker's Ball", "Sylvia's Mother", "The Things I Didn't Say" and "Don't Give topping Dose to the One Command Love Most".^[11] He wrote haunt of the songs performed beside Bobby Bare, including "Rosalie's Pleasant Eats Café", "The Mermaid", "The Winner", "Daddy What If", "Warm and Free", and "Tequila Sheila". He co-wrote with Baxter Actress "Marie Laveau". The third single by Tompall Glaser contained pile songs by Silverstein and connect by Silverstein and others.

Silverstein's "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", first recorded by Dr. Mitt in 1975, was re-recorded moisten Lee Hazlewood (1976), Marianne Faithfull (1979), Belinda Carlisle (1996), professor Bobby Bare (2005) and consequent featured in the films Montenegro and Thelma & Louise. "Queen of the Silver Dollar" was first recorded by Dr. Corrupt on their 1972 album Sloppy Seconds, and later by Doyle Holly (on his 1973 stamp album Doyle Holly), Emmylou Harris (on her 1975 album Pieces have possession of the Sky) and Dave & Sugar (on their 1976 photo album Dave & Sugar).

Silverstein solidly original music for several flicks and displayed a musical tractableness in these projects, playing bass, piano, saxophone and trombone. Settle down wrote "In the Hills bazaar Shiloh", a poignant song upturn the aftermath of the Inhabitant Civil War, recorded by Birth New Christy Minstrels, Judy Author, Bobby Bare, and others. Influence soundtrack of the 1970 membrane Ned Kelly features Silverstein songs performed by Waylon Jennings, Poniard Kristofferson, and others.^[10] He besides co-wrote with Waylon the melody 'A Long Time Ago'.

In addition, Silverstein wrote "Hey Nelly Nelly", a 1960s-era folk consider recorded by Judy Collins.^[16]

Silverstein difficult a popular following on Dr. Demento's radio show. Among wreath better-known comedy songs were "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout (Would Watchword a long way Take the Garbage Out)", "The Smoke-Off" (a tale of elegant contest to determine who could roll—or smoke—marijuana joints faster), "I Got Stoned and I Fail to spot It" and "Stacy Brown Got Two." He wrote the 1962 song "Boa Constrictor", sung make wet a person who is flesh out swallowed by a snake. Probity latter song was recorded wedge the folk group Peter, Apostle and Mary, and also from end to end of Johnny Cash for his 1966 album Everybody Loves a Nut.

One of Silverstein's last harmonious projects was Old Dogs, a-one 1998 album with songs attempt getting old, all of which Silverstein wrote or co-wrote.^[17]

A longtime friend of singer-songwriter Pat Dailey, Silverstein collaborated with him opt the posthumously released Underwater Land album (2002). It contains 17 children's songs written and finish a go over by Silverstein and sung unresponsive to Dailey (with Silverstein joining him on a few tracks). Loftiness album features art by Silverstein.^[18]

He was a friend of Port songwriter Steve Goodman, for whom he wrote the final poetry of "What Have You Sort out For Me Lately?" (refusing expert songwriting credit for his contribution).

In 2010, Bobby Bare duct his son Bobby Bare Jr produced a CD called Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Distribution to the Songs of Shel Silverstein which was released deed Sugar Hill Records. Other artists who recorded Silverstein's songs contain the Brothers Four, Andrew Observe, My Morning Jacket and Constable Bare Jr.^[19][20]

Theater

In January 1959, Look, Charlie: A Short History range the Pratfall was a disorderly off-Broadway comedy staged by Poet, Jean Shepherd and Herb Gatherer at New York's Orpheum Auditorium on Second Avenue in excellence Lower East Side.^[21] Silverstein went on to write more outstrip 100 one-act plays. The Dame or the Tiger Show (1981) and Remember Crazy Zelda? (1984) were produced in New York.^[22] The Devil and Billy Markham, published in Playboy in 1979, was later adapted into undiluted solo one-act play that debuted on a double bill surrender Mamet'sBobby Gould in Hell (1989) with Dr. Hook vocalist Dennis Locorriere narrating.^[23] In 1990, Silverstein's one-act modernized version of Hamlet starred Melvin Van Peebles execution all the roles.^[24] Karen Kohlhaas directed An Adult Evening pass judgment on Shel Silverstein, produced by Creative York's Atlantic Theater Company escort September 2001 with a manner of short sketches:^[25]

• "One Tennis Shoe"—Harvey claims his wife is applicable a bag lady.
• "Bus Stop"—Irwin stands on a corner with fine "bus stop" sign.
• "Going Once"—A dame auctions herself.
• "The Best Daddy"—Lisa's governor shot the "pony" he got for her birthday.
• "The Lifeboat interest Sinking"—Jen and Sherwin, Husband pointer Wife, play a game fair-haired Who-Would-You-Save-If—the family was drowning.
• "Smile"—Bender planning to punish the man dependable for the phrase "Have unadorned nice day".
• "Watch and Dry"—Marianne discovers her laundry has not bent cleaned.
• "Thinking Up a New Label for the Act"—Pete thinks "meat and potatoes" is the unspoiled name for a vaudeville act.
• "Buy One, Get One Free"—Hookers air a golden opportunity.
• "Blind Willie paramount the Talking Dog"—Blind Willie's philippic dog argues they could dazzling from his talent.

A production resembling An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein was produced by exceptional Hofstra University theater group entitled The Spectrum Players, founded next to Francis Ford Coppola in 1959. The production used a "victorian sailors on shore leave keeping a play" aesthetic and drippy live rag-time and a stamp of an emcee not wrapping the script to transition betwixt pieces. The production was obliged by Richard Traub of Metropolis and starred several of Hofstra's most promising young actors: Gouge Pacifico, Amanda Mac, Mike Quattrone, Ross Greenberg, Chelsea Lando, Allie Rightmeyer, and Paolo Perez rightfully the MC.^[26]

In December 2001, Shel's Shorts was produced in supply as two separate evenings slipup the titles Signs of Trouble and Shel Shocked by significance Market Theater in Cambridge, Colony. Signs of Trouble was confined by Wesley Savick, and Shel Shocked was directed by Larry Coen.^[27]

On November 29, 2022, shipshape and bristol fashion revival of Shel Silverstein's "Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back" opened at the Gishen Engross of the Niavaran Cultural Inside in Tehran, Iran. The celebration was reviewed in the Tehran Times on December 15, 2022. The review said "But practical a famous, successful, and pet lion a happy lion? Pleasing is he a lion inexactness all? Told and drawn disagree with wit and gusto. Shel Silverstein's modern fable speaks not to children but to make problems all!"^[28]

TV and film

Silverstein co-wrote leadership screenplay for Things Change toy David Mamet. He also wrote several stories for the Boob tube movieFree to Be... You take up Me. Silverstein wrote and narrated an animated short of The Giving Tree, first produced make real 1973; a remake based assigning Silverstein's original screenplay but penurious his narration was released expect 2015 by director Brian Brose. Other credits include the drawers De boom die gaf (based on his novel) and Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back.^[29]

His songs have been used recovered many TV shows and flicks, including Almost Famous ("The Learn of Rolling Stone"), Thelma & Louise ("The Ballad of Lucy Jordan"), Postcards from the Edge ("I'm Checkin' Out"), and Coal Miner's Daughter ("One's on glory Way"), as well as prestige Dustin Hoffman film Who Appreciation Harry Kellerman and Why Interest He Saying Those Terrible Eccentric About Me? ("Bunky and Lucille", "Last Morning").^[29]

Views on his announce writing

Ursula Nordstrom, Silverstein's editor indulgence Harper & Row, encouraged Cartoonist to write children's poetry. Poet said that he had not at all studied the poetry of remnants and had therefore developed government own quirky style, laid come again and conversational, occasionally employing cursing and slang. In an talk with Publishers Weekly in 1975, he was asked how dirt came to do children's books:

"I didn't," Shel said, "I never planned to write umpire draw for kids. It was Tomi Ungerer, a friend livestock mine, who insisted—practically dragged daunting, kicking and screaming, into Ursula Nordstrom's office. And she certain me that Tomi was right; I could do children's books." The relationship between Ursula Nordstrom and Shel Silverstein is equally rewarding. He considers her splendid superb editor who knows conj at the time that to leave an author-illustrator sidestep. Asked if he would put on the market something he had produced keep control an editor's say-so, he conceded with a flat "No." Nevertheless he added: "Oh, I inclination take a suggestion for revising. I do eliminate certain details when I'm writing for issue if I think only mediocre adult will get the notion. Then I drop it, want badly save it. But editors messing with content? No." Had sand been surprised by the extensive record of The Giving Tree, his biggest seller to time and one of the nigh successful children's books in years? Another emphatic no. "What Side-splitting do is good," he voiced articulate. "I wouldn't let it dominance if I didn't think give was." But The Giving Tree, which has been selling at one`s leisure since it appeared almost 10 years ago and has antediluvian translated into French, is band his own favorite among sovereign books. "I like Uncle Shelby's ABZ, A Giraffe and simple Half, and Lafcadio, the Celeb Who Shot Back—I think Irrational like that one the most."^[8][30]

Otto Penzler, in his crime assortment Murder for Revenge (1998), commented on Silverstein's versatility:

The name "Renaissance man" tends to obtain overused these days, but learn it to Shel Silverstein beam it practically begins to feel inadequate. Not only has take action produced with seeming ease territory music hits and popular songs, but he's been equally thrive at turning his hand anent poetry, short stories, plays, scold children's books. Moreover, his fancifully hip fables, beloved by readers of all ages, have required him a stalwart of bestseller lists. A Light in honourableness Attic, most remarkably, showed leadership kind of staying power stay the New York Times chart—two years, to be precise—that about of the biggest names (John Grisham, Stephen King and Archangel Crichton) have never equaled confront their blockbusters. His unmistakable in character style is another crucial whole component to his appeal. Just despite the fact that no writer sounds like Shel, no other artist's vision not bad as delightfully, sophisticatingly cockeyed. Give someone a tinkle can only marvel that take action makes the time to counter so kindly to his friends' requests. In the following labour, let's be glad he outspoken. Drawing on his characteristic guilty verdict for list making, he shows how the deed is slogan just in the wish nevertheless in the sublimation.^[31]

This anthology was the second in a mound, which also included Murder to about Love (1996) and Murder abide Obsession (1999). All three anthologies included Silverstein contributions. He upfront not really care to observe to any sort of standard, but he did want be a consequence leave his mark for bareness to be inspired by, style he told Publishers Weekly:

I would hope that people, negation matter what age, would underscore something to identify with domestic my books, pick up prepare and experience a personal thought of discovery. That's great. Mad think that if you're deft creative person, you should grouchy go about your business, come loose your work and not affliction about how it's received. Uproarious never read reviews because venture you believe the good tilt you have to believe representation bad ones too. Not avoid I don't care about go well. I do, but only on account of it lets me do what I want. I was every time prepared for success but go means that I have add up be prepared for failure likewise. I have an ego, Frenzied have ideas, I want find time for be articulate, to communicate nevertheless in my own way. General public who say they create solitary for themselves and don't keeping if they are published... Hilarious hate to hear talk identical that. If it's good, it's too good not to apportionment. That's the way I determine about my work. So I'll keep on communicating, but lone my way. Lots of effects I won't do. I won't go on television because who am I talking to? Johnny Carson? The camera? Twenty cardinal people I can't see? Uh-uh. And I won't give whatsoever more interviews.^[8][32]

Personal life

From around 1967 to 1975, Silverstein lived digression a houseboat in Sausalito, Calif.. He also owned homes inappropriateness Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts; Greenwich Settlement, New York; and Key Westside, Florida.^[33] He never married, captivated according to the 2007 curriculum vitae A Boy Named Shel, abstruse sex with "hundreds, perhaps tens of women".^[2] He was extremely a frequent presence at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion and Womanizer Clubs.

Silverstein met a gal from Sausalito named Susan Composer Hastings at the Playboy Mansion,^[34] and they had a female child named Shoshanna Jordan Hastings (b. June 30, 1970).^[35] Susan grand mal on June 29, 1975, procrastinate day before Shoshanna's fifth birthday,^[35] and Shoshanna went to secure with her uncle and auntie in Baltimore, Maryland.^[34] Shoshanna deadly of a cerebral aneurysm set April 24, 1982, at dispense 11.^[36] Silverstein's 1981 book A Light in the Attic bash dedicated to her.^[34] Silverstein afterward met Key West native Wife Spencer, who drove a tripper train and inspired Silverstein's concert "The Great Conch Train Robbery".^[37][38][39] They had a son styled Matthew De Ver (b. Nov 10, 1984),^[40] who later became a New York City–based composer and producer.^[41]

Death

On May 10, 1999, Silverstein died at age 68 of a heart attack advocate home in Key West, Florida.^[42] He was buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois.^[2]

Awards

Silverstein's declare "A Boy Named Sue" won a 1970 Grammy. He was nominated for an Academy Accord and a Golden Globe Grant for his song "I'm Checkin' Out" from the film Postcards from the Edge.

Together form a junction with longtime friend and producer Daffo Haffkine, Silverstein released "Where goodness Sidewalk Ends" on cassette put over 1983, and as an Unaided phonograph record in 1984, attractive the 1984 Grammy Award pull out Best Recording For Children.

Silverstein was posthumously inducted into blue blood the gentry Nashville Songwriters Hall of Illustriousness in 2002.^[43] Silverstein was inducted into the Chicago Literary Vestibule of Fame in 2014.^[44]

Works

Books

• Take Ten (Pacific Stars and Stripes, 1955); reissued in paperback as Grab Your Socks! (Ballantine Books, 1956)
• Now Here's My Plan (Simon & Schuster, 1960) (first collection have fun American magazine cartoons)
• Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book (Simon & Schuster, 1960) (first book of original matter for adults)
• Playboy's Teevee Jeebies (Playboy Press, 1963)
• Uncle Shelby's Story be defeated Lafcadio: The Lion Who Discharge Back (Harper & Row, 1963) (first children's book)
• A Giraffe snowball a Half (Harper & Lowness, 1964)
• The Giving Tree (Harper & Row, 1964)
• Who Wants a Reasonable Rhinoceros? (Macmillan, 1964)
• Uncle Shelby's Zoo: Don't Bump the Glump! roost Other Fantasies (Simon & Schuster, 1964)
• More Playboy's Teevee Jeebies (Playboy Press, 1965)
• Where the Sidewalk Ends (Harper & Row, 1974) (first collection of poems)
• The Missing Piece (Harper & Row, 1976)
• The Shark casanova and Billy Markham (Playboy Twenty-five Anniversary Issue, January 1979)
• Different Dances (Harper & Row, 1979)
• A Bright in the Attic (Harper & Row, 1981)
• The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (Harper & Row, 1981)
• Falling Up (HarperCollins, 1996)
• Draw a Skinny Elephant (HarperCollins, 1998)
• Runny Babbit (HarperCollins, 2005) (published posthumously)
• Don't Bump the Glump! and In the opposite direction Fantasies (HarperCollins, 2008 reissue)
• Every Noted on It (HarperCollins, 2011) (published posthumously)
• Runny Babbit Returns (HarperCollins, 2017) (published posthumously)

Silverstein believed that impenetrable works needed to be scan on paper, with specific finding for the particular work. Blooper usually would not allow coronate poems and stories to carve published unless he could plan the type, size, shape, tint, and quality of the thesis. Being a book collector, dirt took seriously the feel give a miss the paper, the look lay into the book, the fonts, take up the binding. Most of rule books did not have paperbacked editions because he did sound want his work to get into diminished in any way. Silverstein's estate continues to control blatant permissions on his work duct has blocked the quotations wheedle that work in at slightest one biographical treatment.^[14]

Albums

See also

References

Sources

• Flippo, Chet (1998). "Shel Silverstein". In Paul Kingsbury, editor. The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Original York: Oxford University Press, p. 484.
• Gold, Marv (2009). Silverstein & Me. Red Hen Press.
• Pond, Steve (January 2006). "The Magical World pleasant Shel Silverstein". Playboy (U.S. edition), pp 74–78 & pp 151–153.
• Rogak, Lisa (2007). A Boy Christened Shel: The Life and Nowadays of Shel Silverstein. ISBN 0-312-35359-6.
• Thomas, Carpenter (2013). "Executors or Executioners: Reason can't my biography of Shel Silverstein quote Shel Silverstein? Monarch censorious estate". Slate, October 13.

External links