How Shel Silverstein Became a Poet, Songwriter, and American Icon
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.3 • 737 Ratings
🗓️ 23 July 2025
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, Shel Silverstein was a poet, illustrator, and songwriter who didn’t fit any mold. Known to millions for The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends, he also wrote one of country music’s most unforgettable hits: “A Boy Named Sue,” made famous by Johnny Cash. With a legacy that spans literature, music, and illustration, Silverstein remains one of the most versatile and beloved storytellers in American culture. Our American Stories’ own Greg Hengler shares the story.
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:05.4 | Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebeney, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. |
| 0:12.4 | I'm Ebeney, and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. |
| 0:22.1 | Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. |
| 0:27.3 | Tune in on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. |
| 0:33.7 | Your entire identity has been fabricated. |
| 0:36.7 | Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. |
| 0:39.7 | You discover the depths of your mother's illness. |
| 0:42.5 | I'm Danny Shapiro, and these are just a few of the powerful stories |
| 0:46.4 | I'll be mining on our upcoming 12th season of Family Secrets. |
| 0:51.0 | We continue to be moved and inspired by our guests and their courageously told stories. Listen to Family Secrets. We continue to be moved and inspired by our guests and their courageously told stories. |
| 0:57.3 | Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. |
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| 1:21.1 | tomorrow. |
| 1:22.3 | It's not that people don't know that exercise is healthy, it's just that people don't |
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| 1:38.1 | trauma, the saying it. This is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, |
| 1:43.9 | loud, soft, and whole. |
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