A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak Book Review

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         Biographies, they are perhaps the most sought-after nonfiction novel, because they are the ones that seem to be the most useful for remembering some of the most intriguing people in the history of our world. Biographies are what everyone wants, because it’s proof that the individual the nonfiction work is written about will survive the test of time. Everyone who is relevant has had some form of biography or autobiography written, and in the present day biography writing, there could be more than several books from different authors, on the same person.

            From Bill Clinton, to Paul Jackson Pollock, almost everyone of noteworthy interest has a biography, and most are quite concise, if not an exact imprint of the person’s life. Historical fiction can be very close to a well-written biography, but biographies are very precise in what’s expected of them, especially when it comes to the fact outweighing the fiction. Yet, with some characters in our world’s history, the fact is more intriguing than the tall tales we’ve come to believe.

            Out of the many biographies I’ve read, few have come close to resembling the more recent history than that of the late, great cartoonist: Shel Silverstein. Silverstein was one of the first cartoonists for Playboy magazine, and wrote for Stars and Stripes, the military’s newspaper. These starting positions, the former more cementing than the latter, was the beginning of the many great achievements of Shel Silverstein. Shel is called one of the last great Renaissance Men, and although many more have had infamy over him, Shel had always excelled in almost every single project he had been a part of, particularly when it came to recording music, and songwriting.

            Shel Silverstein is a man who stands alone, and although most people only know him for his children’s works, he has done many racy songs, plays, and a few books, both graphic in sex and language. This biography, though there are some qualms, is quite distinct, if not concise on the subject of Shel Silverstein.

            Lisa Rogak is known for her biography on Dan Brown, which I’ve not personally read, but have heard some accolades on her account on Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. When I saw a book about Shel Silverstein around the time of his death, I picked it up, and after just reading it after having the book for a year or so, I found it quite well-written. Though it feels like a biography that writes itself, this was more specific, where the information came from primary sources of the friends, family, and people who’ve surrounded Silverstein in his life.

            Rogak actually has written a quite concise biography. Again, the few qualms I’ve had with this book are few-and-far-between. I’m not too fond of the writing style, but this could be the fact that I’m more used to reading autobiographies, which are obviously more direct since it comes from the main source. She writes well, just I find her descriptions of Shel Silverstein come off as if she knows Shel Silverstein personally, so it sounds a bit bias. Granted, Shel was a great guy, I can have a good idea of this by what all has been said of the man, but I feel the author may have gotten just a bit too subjective on this subject.

            Despite these personal qualms, the book is great, Rogak gives so much information in so little pages, and it feels like you are reliving the life, observing the interviews, and it’s simply well-written. It’s not the most special book ever written, or in-line for the greatest biographies, but it’s a great biography nonetheless, as the subject in Shel Silverstein has written award-winning books, songs, and playwrights. His most well-known works are probably Where The Sidewalk Ends A Light in the Attic and Falling Up. As a child I read these works, and others that Shel Silverstein has written, and I would go so-far ast to say he was one of my favorite writers when I was a child. He, and R.L. Stine have eaten up many hours of my life scrolling my eyes across their books, and are two of the most popular children’s novelist ever. Silverstein’s work is incredible, his silly poetry, and his authentic cartoons are automatically recognizable to any fans of his work.

            Mostly known for his Playboy cartoons, I found it interesting that Shel was not really interested in being a children’s writer, and that his publisher is the one thart pressed him to write young adult, and children books. Incredibly, for every medium Shel created for children, he would push the shock value with his other works, such as song recording, playwriting, or even adult poetry books.

            Shel Silverstein’s life was amazing, he lived the dream-life of every man, despite many hardships, and tragedies that happened to him, his life was quite surreal, impossible to believe as true, but much of his stated life in this biography has happened. Shel pratically lived in the Playboy Mansion, had a number of exotic women who would sleep with, though he never really wanted any strings attached, he was a wealthy vagrant, traveling the country, even the world whenever he felt like picking up and going, he lived like a rebel, and the road was his home.

            Having many houses throughout the country, and even a houseboat in California, Shel was a man that believed freedom was mobility, and freedom was having no real attachments to the place you are in, sop you owe nothing to noone, and nobody could demand anything of you.

            Shel Silverstein was again forms of conformity that fit the majority belief in the fifties and sixties, going even out of the realm of the hippie movement. He was more into the country and jazz countercultures, sort of like a beatnik with more brains. He was unique, in a time where that word has lost much meaning, the “me” culture of the digital age, Shel was truly a unique man. The truth is Shel was a man that no one could really be compared with, no one comes close to being able to say they could be the next Shel Silverstein. If you ever read Shel as a child, perhaps this book will open up some information about him you didn’t know before, but overall, it’s a good book to read. I’m not sure I’d recommend it as a buy, but definietely a read. If you’re a huge fan of the man, buy the book, if not, the local library near you (the one that’s actually still open) is always a suggestion, because it’s a good book, and a fun read.

            Overall, a Boy Name Shel, named that since Shel Silverstein is the writer of the song a Boy Named Sue, made famous by Johnny Cash, is a great biography. Lis Rogak shows some commendable skill, writing a great book that intrigues, and brings interest to its subject character. Lisa makes Shel loveable, and shows him as a charismatic man that women wanted, and men just couldn’t believe from this gangly-shaped bearded man.

            Those who have read me before, I don’t have an accurate rating system, as systems are objective, so I’ll just put it like this: of all the recent biographies, this one isn’t about some kind of politician or reality star. This makes it pretty much the best biography of the last ten years, except Nikki Sixx’s autobiography, that was well-written as well. So I recommend people to read this book, it may spark your interest in the man’s large volume of work. A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak can be found in paperback form, though I own the first edition hardcover, and it may have been reprinted already, but if not, the book is originally published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Press, and can be found at Amazon.com, or any local bookstore.

            Again, I highly recommend this novel, and though I’ve been a bit vague, the subject is so controvserial, it’s hard to really describe Shel in a short review.  Luckily, this book does the job for me, and I promise you all it is a worthy read, if at a minimum, will give you a grand list of works and albums Shel Silberstein has written or recorded, and that could lead you to seek out these books, many of which I’ve read, and they’re quite good, you can find most of them online or in the store. Lis Rogak has given you much information of Shel, and her research is noteworthy, she should be commended for such a great job at covering her subject so well, but maybe she could’ve been more objective than she had been.

            Despite the small book that covers the big live of Silverstein, A Boy Named Shel is like a passport towards the works of a modern-day satirist. It leads the reader down a trail of morsel bread crumbs that are the works of Shel Silverstein, and that is the biggest reward for the person who reads Lisa Rogak’s book. Rogak does her job well, in making her subject intriguing, noteworthy, and most-of-all, a respectful, tasteful retelling of his life, and despite my last qualm, being her somewhat amateurish cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, she makes Shel Silverstein relevant with this work. If you’re interested, pick up her work, if not give Shel a chance, and revisit a misplaced childhood with Where the Sidewalk Ends, or The Giving Tree.

            Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial! You can send comments to a post about a particular subject, or to me specifically mcasteditorial@yahoo.com, or you can follow me on twitter @mcasteditorial. Join me on Facebook by adding Malacast Agentt (with two ts in Agent because Facebook doesn’t recognize Agent as a last name.) I try my best to answer all e-mails sent to me, but it may at times take longer, so thank you for your patience. Thank you again for reading the Malacast Editorial, and expect many more reviews, comments, and editorials in 2012.