Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. His mother, Louisa Van Velsor, was descended from a long line of New York Dutch farmers; his father, Walter Whitman, was a Long Island farmer and carpenter. His mother was Louisa Van Velsor.
In 1823, the family moved to Brooklyn in search of work. The second of nine children in an undistinguished family, Whitman received little in the way of formal education. He still managed to read the works of Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare.
At the age of 17, Whitman began teaching at various Long Island schools and continued to teach until he went to New York City to be a printer for the New World and a reporter for the Democratic Review in 1841. For much of the next years, he made his livelihood through journalism. Besides reporting and freelance writing, he also edited several Brooklyn newspapers, including the "Daily Eagle," the "Freeman," and the "Times."
In 1848, Whitman met and was hired by a representative of the New Orleans Crescent. Although the job lasted only a few months, the journey by train, stagecoach, and steamboat helped to broaden his view of America.
A sunstroke in 1885 and another paralytic stroke made Walt Whitman increasingly dependent on others. He died of complications from a stroke on March 26, 1892.
In 1823, the family moved to Brooklyn in search of work. The second of nine children in an undistinguished family, Whitman received little in the way of formal education. He still managed to read the works of Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare.
At the age of 17, Whitman began teaching at various Long Island schools and continued to teach until he went to New York City to be a printer for the New World and a reporter for the Democratic Review in 1841. For much of the next years, he made his livelihood through journalism. Besides reporting and freelance writing, he also edited several Brooklyn newspapers, including the "Daily Eagle," the "Freeman," and the "Times."
In 1848, Whitman met and was hired by a representative of the New Orleans Crescent. Although the job lasted only a few months, the journey by train, stagecoach, and steamboat helped to broaden his view of America.
A sunstroke in 1885 and another paralytic stroke made Walt Whitman increasingly dependent on others. He died of complications from a stroke on March 26, 1892.
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan Silverstein was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 25, 1930. Shel had a happy childhood saying "When I was a kid-12, 14 around there-I would have much rather have been a good baseball player or a hit with the girls. But I couldn't play ball. I couldn't dance. So I started to draw and write." Shel graduated from Roosevelt High School and went on to the University of Illinois at Navy Pier were he was thrown out after one year of study. He then studied at the Academy of Fine Arts for a year. After that he went to Roosevelt University in Chicago for three years, but never finished because he was drafted in 1953 to the United States military and served in Korea and Japan.
He got married and later divorced after having a daughter. His daughter, Shanna, was born on June 30th 1970. Shel wrote many songs as well and because he wasn't a good singer he gave them to many famous artists to sing them. For example, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis and many more. Some of his more well known songs are "A Boy Named Sue" and "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh." Shel wrote and had many books published, his more famous ones were for children but he wrote for adults as well. Some of his books include: The Giving Tree, The Missing Piece, Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O and Falling Up.
He got married and later divorced after having a daughter. His daughter, Shanna, was born on June 30th 1970. Shel wrote many songs as well and because he wasn't a good singer he gave them to many famous artists to sing them. For example, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis and many more. Some of his more well known songs are "A Boy Named Sue" and "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh." Shel wrote and had many books published, his more famous ones were for children but he wrote for adults as well. Some of his books include: The Giving Tree, The Missing Piece, Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O and Falling Up.
He won awards for many of his books including: The Michigan Young Readers Award for Where the Sidewalk Ends (1981); a School Library Journal Best Books (1982) for A Light in the Attic, and an International Reading Association's Children's Choices Award for The Missing Piece Meets the Big O. He also recorded ten poems from his book Where the Sidewalk Ends and ended up winning a Grammy for it. Shel was more then just a poet and songwriter he was a well known cartoonist, and musician as well. When he was in the war he drew cartoons for a newspaper and Playboy. He also illustrated all three of his books of poems for children.
Shel was a very quiet man only ever doing a few interviews and living a very private life. In 1975, he did agree to do a interview with Jean Mercier of Publishers Weekly magazine. In it he told her: "Lots of things I won't do. I won't go on television because who am I talking to? . . . Twenty million people I can't see? Uh-uh. And I won't give anymore interviews." He never did, that was his only interview ever. Sadly Shel Silverstein died on May 10th, 1999 of a heart attack.
Shel was a very quiet man only ever doing a few interviews and living a very private life. In 1975, he did agree to do a interview with Jean Mercier of Publishers Weekly magazine. In it he told her: "Lots of things I won't do. I won't go on television because who am I talking to? . . . Twenty million people I can't see? Uh-uh. And I won't give anymore interviews." He never did, that was his only interview ever. Sadly Shel Silverstein died on May 10th, 1999 of a heart attack.