Shel Silverstein

My oldest son developed a passion for Shel Silverstein on his inaugural “birthday bookstore date with mom.” We sat there on the floor of our local big-box chain store (sadly we don’t have a local indie) reading to one another from Where the Sidewalk Ends. He laughed. He snorted. He was hooked after “Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too Went For A Ride In A Flying Shoe.” This year he chose Falling Up. He’s had the book picked out for months and despite walking him through every aisle in the children’s section (I made a strong case for Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick just to shake things up)  he never budged in his determination.

It wasn’t until we got home and started reading a few of the poems to his brothers that I realized what a timely choice this was. On page 58, tucked between “Foot Repair” and “Warmharted” is a clever little verse called “Writer Waiting:”

Oh this shiny new computer-

There just isn’t nothin’ cuter.

It knows everything the world ever knew.

And with this great computer

I don’t need no writin’ tutor,

‘Cause there ain’t a single thing that it can’t do.

It can sort and it can spell,

It can punctuate as well.

It can find and file and underline and type.

It can edit and select,

It can copy and correct,

So I’ll have a whole book written by tonight

(Just as soon as it can think of what to write).