He also wrote the screenplay for the film Things Change with co-writer and director David Mamet. He wrote more than 100 one-act plays, many of which were staged in different theaters. Among his works were The Lady or the Tiger and The Devil and Billy Markham. When he wasn’t busy drawing cartoons or singing, Silverstein wrote plays. His song “I’m Checkin’ Out,” from the movie Postcards from the Edge, was nominated for an Oscar Award and a Golden Globe Award. He also had several albums where he sang his own songs. Hook & the Medicine Show, used in the film Almost Famous. Silverstein wrote “A Boy Named Sue” for country singer Johnny Cash and “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone’” for rock group Dr.

He was a singer and songwriter, and wrote dozens of songs for himself and other artists, many of which became hits. Silverstein also studied music briefly at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. His cartoons and poems were published in Playboy from 1957 until around mid-1970. In his time with the magazine, he traveled the world for his cartoon series “Shel Silverstein Visits…” and created 23 installments. When he returned home, Silverstein continued to draw, submitting his works to different magazines.Ī surprising fact about Silverstein is that before becoming a children’s book author, he actually worked for Playboy. His first audience for his cartoons were not kids Silverstein’s first published cartoons were in the Roosevelt Torch, a student paper at his school, Roosevelt University.Īfterwards, he spent some time in Korea and Japan in the military, where he also drew cartoons for the military magazine Pacific Stars and Stripes.

He did not have a favorite cartoonist or artist, and he stated that this helped him develop his own style, instead of trying to copy someone else. He wanted to be an athlete but couldn’t play baseball very well, so he stuck to drawing. One of the most popular children’s book authors is Shel Silverstein, author of the book The Giving Tree.īorn Sheldon Silverstein in 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein did not pursue art or writing initially. Children’s book authors, then, have a huge impact on young minds through their works.

Where the sidewalk ends sick