Silverstein and Me: A Memoir

Shel’s fans will question this book. It is a no-holds-barred memoir that may make some laugh out loud, scream, shout, and cry. And it may forever alter one’s view of success. Is this the Silverstein so many have come to know and love? Yes, because it presents his human and humorous side, and goes beyond, into the many hurdles he confronted. Told as a fast-paced narrative, it unveils a spectrum of characters. As a memoir filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insights, it is the first and only close look at the legend and person. Some claim Shel was a genius, a veritable Renaissance Man. Others say he was just another pushy yid. Was he a man of character? Or a caricature of a man he created? Who was the real Shel Silverstein? Very little is known because he was a recluse. At twenty-six he was a flop, at thirty-six a millionaire—the creator of hundreds of cartoons, poems and songs. He was being compared to Jules Feiffer, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak. For the first time this full length memoir reveals the inside story. It reveals scenes of his childhood, his early interests and hobbies, his grade school and high school days, follows him through four colleges and the army, traces his youthful escapades and jobs, the Playboy era and beyond. It draws upon a lifelong friendship to reveal the details of a complex figure of our times.