From poetry to Playboy, the fantastic Shel Silverstein has done it all.
Born in 1930s Chicago, Silverstein completed two semesters at the University during the 1948-1949 academic year. He lived in the Tau Delta Phi fraternity house and studied art in the College of Fine and Applied Arts before the military drafted him.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, he became a magazine cartoonist for Sports Illustrated and Playboy magazine. Silverstein also released multiple albums and was awarded the Grammy for Best Country Song for “A Boy Named Sue” in 1970.
Silverstein published his first children’s book, “Lafcadio: the Lion Who Shot Back,” in 1963. He authored and illustrated many other books you know, such as “The Giving Tree,” “A Giraffe and a Half,” “A Light in the Attic” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends” to name a few. These books inspired countless children around the world and helped shape the legacy of Shel Silverstein.
Silverstein died at age 68 in 1999. His works remain impactful to this day, and his legacy as a renowned writer lives on.
