Shel Silverstein: When Poets Talk

This piece was written by Jimmy Moore and is republished here without edits or additions.

In the 1970’s, I met Shel at several music sessions but we had never had the chance to sit and talk to each other.  One morning I was sitting at an outside table at “Close Quarters”, a favorite gathering place of Music Row people.  I had been at an all-night music session with Mickey Newbury and had another job to go to, so this was my choice for coffee and to make notes on the next photo session.  I looked across the patio and noticed Shel Silverstein; waved at him and he immediately got up and came over to the table.  “Jimmy, I’ve got to tell you something, but I wanted to tell you privately.   I read your book and you, like me, have ‘The Gift ‘and I mean that.  I started the same way, putting down the thoughts whenever they came.” 

I was speechless.  Shel wrote “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, “A Light in the Attic”,” The Giving Tree”, which has been translated into over 30 languages and is continually named to lists of the best children’s books of all times. That’s not even counting the hit songs, and unending list of successes in poetry books and most other arts forms. 

He said, “I guess you are wondering where I saw your book.” I said, “Yes, that and some other things I’m wondering about.”  “Well, to start with because it was an unusual place I kinda figured you would want to know this.  I was visiting with Hugh Hefner and noticed this book on his table, a photograph of a young boy running thru a field of grass at sunset, a perfect photograph.  I asked him if I could take a look, and he said, ‘Sure, it’s by a poet from Nashville, a friend of Barbi’s that she performs with on Hee Haw.’  I read a few of the poems and Hugh said, ‘I would loan it to you but it is Barbi’s, you will have to ask her.’”  Shel, smiling said, “I called her and she said I could borrow it, but don’t lose it.  Barbi said I should meet you when I come to Nashville; said she had been to your home several times and had met your family and your dog.”  I replied, “Did she tell you to give me a pep talk?”  “No,” he said, “she said to encourage you; that you and I were alike; creative, delightful gentlemen and ‘double funny’!  I thanked her and told her I now referred to you as the ‘other poet’! ‘You two will get along fine,’ she said. ‘Stop by and see us when we get to Nashville, the three of us will get together.  He has a cool studio just up the street from Channel 5 where we shoot Hee Haw.’”   

“Shel, I am overwhelmed by your comments and Barbi’s but I know I’m not even in your league.  After all, your book, ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’, has already sold almost 6 million copies.  Mine sold about 250,000 and that’s in Christian Book Stores.”  “I’ll find you a distributor,” he said.  “We can change that; your book is about human beings.  It can sell in any book store.” 

Now during this whole conversation we are laughing and joking with all we have said. Maybe Shel laughs a little loud, well, he does laugh loud and talks loud and he is a very animated and funny guy.  So Harland Howard walks up to the table and says, “What the hell are you two doing, writing a comedy show?”  Shel replies, “We are a comedy show; have a seat Harlan.”  Harlan had just written great liner notes for Shel’s new album, “Boy Named Sue”, which would end up being a big hit for Johnny Cash.  Harlan was already known as one of the top country song writers with a string of hits.  The year before I shot Harlan’s RCA album cover, “Down To Earth”, his second album.  

The conversation continued with each of us adding whatever came to mind; I wish we had recorded the whole thing.  Shel told us he joined the Army in 1950, and served in Korea and Japan.  During that he became a cartoonist for “Stars & Stripes” magazine, and after the Army, he became a cartoonist for several more magazines, like “Look”, “Sports Illustrated” and finally in “Playboy” which heightened his popularity to national recognition.  In his career he also wrote motion picture soundtracks for several movies, one being “Postcards from the Edge”. 

During this whole time of each of us telling pieces of our life adventures, Shel is sketching a picture of me and I am shooting photos of him and Harlan.  Shel’s sketch of me was me with “NO” hair and my sketch of him was him with a “mop” of hair.  Our laughter caught the attention of all that were sitting around us, some even joined in.  Harlan grabs my camera and said, “Stand up and I will get a shot of both of you clowns!”  I said, “Harlan, I didn’t know that you could take pictures.”  He said, “Yes, and I can fish and write songs, but that’s about it.”  I added my two cents and said, “I take pictures, and act foolish on Hee Haw and they pay me for it!”  Shel said, “And you are the ‘Other Poet’!”  “ Yes, thank you,” I said.  Shel, laughing so hard he could hardly say, “I’m from California and I came to Nashville to help you guys write songs!”  Harlan looked at me and said, “Yeah, right!” I did the Photoshop work on the attached photo that Harland made of Shel and me I.  Shel said he loved it and now it in a place of honor in his houseboat in Malibu – I think maybe in the bathroom?  That’s what happens “When Poets Talk.”

Our friendship was a great one, many stories and much laughter.  I believe he was the most talented man I ever met.   Shel died in Key West on May 10, 1999 from a heart attack.