--- title: "9 Shel Silverstein Quotes by 9 authors" description: "Browse 9 Shel Silverstein quotes by 9 authors. Discover the best Shel Silverstein sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/stephanie-klein-16422_about-friendship_how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-dep_116136.png" --- > [How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-klein/how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-depends-how-loud-you-shut-it-how/) [Stephanie Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-klein/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/stephanie-klein-16422_about-friendship_how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-dep_116136.png) > [We expect kids to go straight from Shel Silverstein to William Shakespeare. There needs to be a bridge of relatable, fun, rhythmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-alexander/we-expect-kids-to-go-straight-from-shel-silverstein-to-william/) [Kwame Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-alexander/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/kwame-alexander-35371_appreciate_we-expect-kids-to-go-straight-from-shel_820763.jpg) > [“Last night, while I lay thinking here, some Whatifs crawled inside my ear, and pranced and partied all night long, and sang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-archer/last-night-while-i-lay-thinking-here-some-whatifs-crawled-inside-my/) [Nicole Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-archer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/nicole-archer-58840_last-night_last-night-while-i-lay-thinking-here-som_1408899.jpg) > [“See, Shel (Silverstein) was possessed with one of the worst singing verses ever heard. Musical appreciation is inherently subjective, and it's normally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with-one-of-the-worst-singing/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/peter-cooper-47583_poetry_see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with_1523660.jpg) > [“There was this book Dad used to read to me every night called "The Giving Tree." It was a really good book,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/there-was-this-book-dad-used-to-read-to-me-every-night-called-the/) [Jeff Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinney/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/jeff-kinney-4064_books_there-was-this-book-dad-used-to-read-to_176981.jpg) > [ When I choose the title \[for my book\], which was my favorite title, I felt sure there was going to be a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/when-i-choose-the-title-for-my-book-which-was-my-favorite-title-i/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/richard-rohr-618_book_when-i-choose-the-title-for-my-book-whic_3197134.png) > [“Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/where-the-sidewalk-ends-shel-silverstein-there-is-a-place-where-the/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/shel-silverstein-1914_quote_where-the-sidewalk-ends-shel-silverstein_235608.jpg) > [I would read the Shel Silverstein poems, Dr. Seuss, and I noticed early on that poetry was something that just stuck in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-would-read-the-shel-silverstein-poems-dr-seuss-and-i-noticed-early/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/taylor-swift-125_closets_i-would-read-the-shel-silverstein-poems_1657712.jpg) > [“Mr. Ram was a dedicated person—that means he didn’t let go of the things that were important to him. He was dedicated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-ali/mr-ram-was-a-dedicated-person-that-means-he-didn-t-let-go-of-the/) [S.K. Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-k-ali/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/s-k-ali-75989_important-things_mr-ram-was-a-dedicated-person-that-means_1601453.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/#itemlist", "name": "Shel Silverstein Quotes", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give 'em.” ― How Many, How Much by Shel Silverstein “Tell the truth, or someone will tell it for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephanie Klein" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-klein/how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-depends-how-loud-you-shut-it-how/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/stephanie-klein-16422_about-friendship_how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-dep_116136.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/stephanie-klein-16422_about-friendship_how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-dep_116136.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/stephanie-klein-16422_about-friendship_how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-dep_116136.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how…” — Stephanie Klein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We expect kids to go straight from Shel Silverstein to William Shakespeare. There needs to be a bridge of relatable, fun, rhythmic verse that gets kids to cross over, so to speak, so they can appreciate Mary Oliver and Naomi Shihab Nye and Langston Hughes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kwame Alexander" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-alexander/we-expect-kids-to-go-straight-from-shel-silverstein-to-william/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/kwame-alexander-35371_appreciate_we-expect-kids-to-go-straight-from-shel_820763.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/kwame-alexander-35371_appreciate_we-expect-kids-to-go-straight-from-shel_820763.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/291/kwame-alexander-35371_appreciate_we-expect-kids-to-go-straight-from-shel_820763.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We expect kids to go straight from Shel Silverstein to William Shakespeare. There needs to be a bridge of…” — Kwame Alexander", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Last night, while I lay thinking here, some Whatifs crawled inside my ear, and pranced and partied all night long, and sang their same old Whatif song.”—Shel Silverstein”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicole Archer" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-archer/last-night-while-i-lay-thinking-here-some-whatifs-crawled-inside-my/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/nicole-archer-58840_last-night_last-night-while-i-lay-thinking-here-som_1408899.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/nicole-archer-58840_last-night_last-night-while-i-lay-thinking-here-som_1408899.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/nicole-archer-58840_last-night_last-night-while-i-lay-thinking-here-som_1408899.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Last night, while I lay thinking here, some Whatifs crawled inside my ear, and pranced and partied all night…” — Nicole Archer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“See, Shel (Silverstein) was possessed with one of the worst singing verses ever heard. Musical appreciation is inherently subjective, and it's normally senseless to write about vocalists or instrumentalists as 'good' or 'bad.' But in Shel's case, it's a practical necessity. His voice was a razor-gargled hyena screech.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Cooper" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with-one-of-the-worst-singing/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/peter-cooper-47583_poetry_see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with_1523660.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/peter-cooper-47583_poetry_see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with_1523660.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/peter-cooper-47583_poetry_see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with_1523660.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“See, Shel (Silverstein) was possessed with one of the worst singing verses ever heard. Musical appreciation…” — Peter Cooper", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was this book Dad used to read to me every night called \"The Giving Tree.\" It was a really good book, but the back of it had a picture of the author, this guy named Shel Silverstein. But Shel Silverstein looks more like a burglar or a pirate than a guy who should be writing books for kids. Dad must have known that picture kind of freaked me out, because one night after I got out of bed, Dad said: \"IF YOU GET OUT OF BED AGAIN TONIGHT, YOU'LL PROBABLY RUN INTO SHEL SILVERSTEIN IN THE HALLWAY.\" That really did the trick, Ever since then, I STILL don't get out of bed at night, even if I really need to use the bathroom.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Kinney" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/there-was-this-book-dad-used-to-read-to-me-every-night-called-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/jeff-kinney-4064_books_there-was-this-book-dad-used-to-read-to_176981.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/jeff-kinney-4064_books_there-was-this-book-dad-used-to-read-to_176981.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/jeff-kinney-4064_books_there-was-this-book-dad-used-to-read-to_176981.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was this book Dad used to read to me every night called \"The Giving Tree.\" It was a really good book…” — Jeff Kinney", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I choose the title [for my book], which was my favorite title, I felt sure there was going to be a dozen books maybe with that name already because it's so obvious to me that that's the message. I was surprised it hasn't been the title of a single book. Well, there is a Shel Silverstein children's book called Falling Upwards. But no one has chosen Falling Upward as a title and I'm very happy it's right on the cover.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Rohr" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/when-i-choose-the-title-for-my-book-which-was-my-favorite-title-i/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/richard-rohr-618_book_when-i-choose-the-title-for-my-book-whic_3197134.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/richard-rohr-618_book_when-i-choose-the-title-for-my-book-whic_3197134.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/richard-rohr-618_book_when-i-choose-the-title-for-my-book-whic_3197134.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I choose the title [for my book], which was my favorite title, I felt sure there was going to be a…” — Richard Rohr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow , And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shel Silverstein" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/where-the-sidewalk-ends-shel-silverstein-there-is-a-place-where-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/shel-silverstein-1914_quote_where-the-sidewalk-ends-shel-silverstein_235608.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/shel-silverstein-1914_quote_where-the-sidewalk-ends-shel-silverstein_235608.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/shel-silverstein-1914_quote_where-the-sidewalk-ends-shel-silverstein_235608.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street…” — Shel Silverstein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would read the Shel Silverstein poems, Dr. Seuss, and I noticed early on that poetry was something that just stuck in my head and I was replaying those rhymes and try to think of my own. In English, the only thing I wanted to do was poetry and all the other kids were like, \"Oh, man. We have to write poems again?\" and I would have a three-page long poem. I won a national poetry contest when I was in fourth grade for a poem called \"Monster In My Closet.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Taylor Swift" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-would-read-the-shel-silverstein-poems-dr-seuss-and-i-noticed-early/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/taylor-swift-125_closets_i-would-read-the-shel-silverstein-poems_1657712.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/taylor-swift-125_closets_i-would-read-the-shel-silverstein-poems_1657712.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/taylor-swift-125_closets_i-would-read-the-shel-silverstein-poems_1657712.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would read the Shel Silverstein poems, Dr. Seuss, and I noticed early on that poetry was something that…” — Taylor Swift", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mr. Ram was a dedicated person—that means he didn’t let go of the things that were important to him. He was dedicated to Seniors Games Club every week. He got dressed up to go. Everyone knew he was serious about spending time with his friends, that’s how dressed up he was. He was dedicated to people. Even though he was a serious person, with a lot on his mind, he made sure to let you know he remembered you. Always. He smiled at jokes even if they were only sort of funny. He remembered that it was a person who was telling the joke, so he smiled for that person. He was dedicated to reading good books, even if they were from another generation or didn’t make complete sense to him. He read the first Harry Potter when he was ninety years old because someone told him it was good. He would have read the rest of the series if that someone had been able to find the large-type versions in the library for him.* He smiled one of his loudest smiles ever at the Shel Silverstein poem about a pet snowball. But his favorite Shel Silverstein poem was “The Little Boy and the Old Man.” Like the old man in the poem, he was dedicated to someone too, dedicated to helping her find out what the really important things for her were. What she should be dedicated to. She misses him but was happy to have had someone like him in her life. Thank you, Mr. Ram, for the warmth of your hand. *Someone still regrets that they didn’t find the rest of the HP books for him.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S.K. Ali" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-ali/mr-ram-was-a-dedicated-person-that-means-he-didn-t-let-go-of-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/s-k-ali-75989_important-things_mr-ram-was-a-dedicated-person-that-means_1601453.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/s-k-ali-75989_important-things_mr-ram-was-a-dedicated-person-that-means_1601453.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/s-k-ali-75989_important-things_mr-ram-was-a-dedicated-person-that-means_1601453.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mr. Ram was a dedicated person—that means he didn’t let go of the things that were important to him. He was…” — S.K. Ali", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/", "name": "Shel Silverstein Quotes", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/stephanie-klein-16422_about-friendship_how-many-slams-in-an-old-screen-door-dep_116136.png" }, "description": "Browse 9 Shel Silverstein quotes by 9 authors. Discover the best Shel Silverstein sayings and thoughts.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Shel Silverstein Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shel-silverstein/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```