Shel Silverstein composed "with such ease and speed, it was as if he were taking dictation from God." "Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life," he said. Shel was a free spirit and a world traveler who owned homes in New York, Sausalito, Chicago, Martha's Vineyard, and Key West, where he housed his cherished collection of old books. Instead of indulging in drugs or alcohol, he preferred rich, creamy desserts like pudding and junket. He was a babe magnet specializing in one night stands. He was a creative genius whose songs, books, plays, and cartoons rarely have a happy ending. He never lost the wonder of being a kid. When he was five years old, he taught himself to draw by tracing over the comic strips in the newspaper. He didn't have a lot of friends, but he loved books. "Because he was lonely, he turned to books for companionship... They were his friends." He didn't drive after an auto accident in 1959 and had little patience for kids. He was single and often lived and worked in the Playboy Mansion. He thought his friend, Tomi Ungerer was nuts for suggesting he write or draw for children. Shel was leery of doctors and did not see any after his accident. He died in May, 1999 of a massive heart attack, depriving the world of a true genius.
This is an excellent, eye-opening biography.
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