Shel Silverstein Biography

Sheldon Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. He passed away on May 10, 1999 after a heart attack.

Shel Silverstein spent time fighting in Korea and Japan, after joining the army in the 1950s. Working as a cartoonist for the military magazine Stars and Stripes, earned him a job as a cartoonist and writer for Playboy.

Shel Silverstein's never intended to write for children. Ursula Nordstrom, an editor at Harper and Row (at present HarperCollins) encouraged him to write children's poetry after reading some of his work for she believed that his exclusive voice would plea to the kids across the earth, to which he at first disagreed. One time his primary book was published, Shel Silverstein discovered this genre was apt for his literary talents.

Shel Silverstein never believed in polishing writing skills by continually reading the works of others. He learned music for a short time at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and never officially studied writing. In reality, he confesses he seldom read any poetry. His style is an interesting merge of childish innocence as well as adult humor.

Shel Silverstein loved to travel, but was fairly reclusive when it came to publicizing his work & rarely agreed to media interviews. His answers to questions on creative process were evasive & he was reluctant to answer questions on personal life.

Shel Silverstein is best known as a talented playwright, songwriter, and recording artist. He was posthumously introduced into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.

Personal Life

Shel Silverstein was wedded temporarily to Susan Hastings; nevertheless the union winded up in divorce soon after the birth of his daughter Shoshanna (Shanna) in 1970, June 30. Susan passed away in 1975. Her uncle and aunt, Curtis Marshall and Meg, raised Shanna till she departed from a cerebral aneurysm at the period of 11 on April 24, 1982. A Light in the Attic is dedicated to Shanna.

Shel Silverstein's son Matthew was born on November 10, 1983. Falling Up is dedicated to Matt and Sarah.

Books by Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein works have sold over 18 million copies and have been translated into more than 20 different languages. Shel Silverstein works are among the most popular titles in the children's section.

Children's books by Shel Silverstein include:

Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back (1963)

A Giraffe and a Half (1964)

The Giving Tree (1964)

Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? (1964)

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)

The Missing Piece (1976)

A Light in the Attic (1981)

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981)

Falling Up (1996)

Sketch a Skinny Elephant (1998)

Bunny Rabbit (2005) (published posthumously)

Do not bump the Glump! And Further Fantasies (2008, initially published in 1964)

As a playwright and enthusiastic book collector, Shel Silverstein was closely involved with the preparation of his manuscripts. He refused to allow any of his books to be published in paperback for it diminished the experience of reading his work.