Shel Silverstein (American Poet, Songwriter & Artiste 1930 - 1999)

Shel Silverstein (1930 - 1999)

Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein was an American poet, songwriter, cartoonist and author of children's books. He sometimes styled himself as Uncle Shelby especially for his early children's books. Silverstein confirmed he never studied the poetry of others, and therefore developed his own style: laid-back and conversational, occasionally employing profanity, and slang. “When I was a kid,” he told Publishers Weekly in 1975, “I would much rather have been a good baseball player or a hit with the girls. But I couldn’t play ball. I couldn’t dance. So I started to draw and to write. I was lucky that I didn’t have anyone to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style.”

Silverstein's name is most commonly known for writing and illustrating his children's literature including The Missing Piece, A Light In The Attic & Falling Up amongst others. Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein’s first collection of poems, was published in 1974 and was hailed as an instant classic. He won a Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album for Where the Sidewalk Ends as “recited, sung and shouted” by him. He continued to write colloquial poetry on occasion throughout his life, including a rap version of Shakespeare's Hamlet that was published (on yellow-beige specialty paper) in Playboy magazine in 1998.

As a songwriter, Silverstein wrote many songs which were hits for other artists, most notably "A Boy Named Sue" performed by Johnny Cash. He won the Grammy for it in 1970. Multi-talented indeed.

In 2005, Silverstein's last book, Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook, was published posthumously. As the title suggests, every poem and illustration in the book consists of spoonerisms, a play on words in which corresponding consonants or vowels are purposely switched.

Messy Room

By Shel Silverstein
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!

Picture Puzzle Piece

By Shel Silverstein
One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.

Invitation

By Shel Silverstein
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer ...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!

Runny's Rittle Leminders
From Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook

Johnny Cash Performing "A Boy Named Sue"
Grammy-winning lyrics & music written by Shel Silverstein

Shel explains why he wrote the song: Okay...now years ago, I wrote a song named "A Boy Named Sue," and that was okay and everything, except then I started to think about it, and I thought, "It is unfair. I am looking at the whole thing from the poor kid's point of view." And as I get more older and more fatherly, I begin to look at things from an old man's point of view. So... I decided to give the old man equal time. Okay. Here we go...

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MsJacquiiC · #1 04-29-2008, 12:22 PM

Quote:

He said, "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do
But ya ought to thank me, before I die
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
'Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you Sue"

Tribute.

For the grit the get' and the bittle lits
of proesy, pose, and wusical moes
and laughter. If nothing else le thaughter.
If nothing else... le thaughter and prose
and limerickal smiles wrapped up in poetry:
Yank Thou - Thy lyrical genius.

Happy National Poetry Month!

butchiesmom · #2 04-29-2008, 01:19 PM

I've so glad to know who wrote A Boy Named Sue. I'm not a great fan of Johnny Cash, but I've always thought that song one of his best.

That Shel Silverstein was able to write and draw and develop his own style is fantastic. I'm a fan of writers who say what they mean and mean what they say. (I've heard that from somewhere and think it says so much.)

I appreciate the time it takes for you to find this information and post it.
hugs
Gail

nomadicrhymer · #3 04-29-2008, 03:16 PM

LOL! Thanks, Ms. J. Johnny Cash is one of my very favorite country singers. I've been listening to him from when I was little growing up in Belize. I love "A Boy Names Sue" Well, to tell u the truth, I love all of his music. He is such a man's man, but then I have a thing for cowboys...shhhh!

I bought my daughter Shel Silverstein's book a while back. She is going through it slowly....I love his work.

Nomad

MsJacquiiC · #4 04-30-2008, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by butchiesmom

I've so glad to know who wrote A Boy Named Sue.

That song is one of my favorites even before I knew what the name of the song was - the lyrics are especially wise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadicrhymer

I love "A Boy Names Sue" Well, to tell u the truth, I love all of his music. He is such a man's man, but then I have a thing for cowboys...shhhh!

I bought my daughter Shel Silverstein's book a while back. She is going through it slowly....I love his work.

Nomad

Ha! A thang for cowboys eh? Gotta have that little bit of country in ya huh

J/Teasing :p - I too like the country boys - And yes - Silverstein has an very interesting dynamic about his writing. So essentially male, but very uninhibited and very witty with a tounge-in-cheek type of mystique.

Jacquii.

PS - Thanx for the Thank You GAIL - I will post something about the new button a little while later hopefully! And thanx BOTH of you LADIES for commenting!

-- btw - did YAWL see the doobies being passed??? Ah! ((sigh)) The good ole days lol

PaintedDiary · #5 05-02-2008, 08:09 PM

Thanks for posting this Ms Jacquii...wow...so much to learn. He seemed like a complex, abstract, and free flowing artist all wrapped into one. His children's writes seem so interesting, and I am honored to know him now. Great post Ms Jacquii!

Kim

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