Moose: Chapters from My Life

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Moose: Chapters from My Life
OCLC
865495543
Preceded byWalt's Time[1] 

Moose: Chapters From My Life is the 459-page autobiography by the

Academy Award-winning actors Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. Actor B. J. Novak portrayed a young Robert Sherman in the film. Several scenes from the film drew direct inspiration from Moose. This was done with the author's consent.[7]

Background

Moose is a collection of short stories taken from the author's life. Chapters were deliberately organized out of sequence. The purpose of this untraditional structure was to introduce the reader to the author's life story thematically rather than as a recounting of chronological events. Publishers were initially unimpressed with the author's stylistic approach, but the author felt strongly that the use of this technique was essential to the overall success of the narrative. This disagreement was, in part, what delayed publication by nearly a decade.[5]

Contents

Moose: Chapters From My Life 2016 Audible Audiobook Cover, Orchard Hill Press

Handwritten inscription

On the front page of the book is a facsimile of a handwritten letter (excerpt) written by Sherman to his parents (in 1944) as an 18-year-old

US Army soldier, immediately prior to his deployment to Europe to fight in World War II
. The letter was found by Sherman's son among his papers, in an envelope labeled, "To Be Opened Upon the Event of My Death". The excerpt reads: "If God placed my mission in this world as writing - I would have written for the benefit of my fellow man, and for his pleasure and observance of himself and his actions, (his injustices.) I would have spent my life devoted to showing man to himself in all his truth."

Text

Most of the book is written in prose text. Moose is divided into seven major sections which are subdivided into an aggregate 54, true, anecdotal short stories. (The author was lauded for his candor.) Chapters cover a range of intriguing and/or transformative moments in the author's life. Subjects range from his service in the

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium
.

My Time (sections 1-4)

Interspersed between the major literary sections of Moose is a comprehensive, four-part series of photographic chapters entitled, "My Time". The "My Time" sub-chapters are an annotated, visual overview of Robert Sherman's life and relationships (both personal and professional). The four sub-chapters provide a linear context to what might otherwise read as a disparate collection of short stories. The photographic sub-chapters are a succinct yet comprehensive account of Sherman's relationship with his brother and songwriting partner,

Academy Award-winning Sherman Brothers songwriting team). How affable the brothers' relationship actually was, has been a subject of debate since the 2009 release of Walt Disney Pictures's The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
and the 2013 release of Walt Disney Pictures's Saving Mr. Banks. The making of both films is touched upon in the "My Time" sections. "My Time" also covers many of the other significant relationships that the writer had during his life including his marriage to his wife Joyce (of 48 years), his relationship with his parents, employers, collaborators, friends and children.

The title "My Time" is an allusion to the author's previous joint-autobiographical effort, Walt's Time: From Before To Beyond which was published in 1998. The three main sections of Walt's Time are "Walt's Time" (covering the Sherman Brothers' years of service to Walt Disney), "Al's Time" (a reference to the Sherman Brothers' father, Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman) and "Our Time" which refers to the twenty-five years that followed the death of the Sherman Brothers' two respective mentors (Walt Disney's death in 1966 and Al Sherman's death in 1973) and the publication of the book (Walt's Time) in 1998.

In Moose: Chapters From My Life, the header, "My Time" refers to Robert Sherman's life post-"Walt's Time", post "Al's Time" and post-"Our Time". Although the four sections cover Sherman's entire life, the meaning of the "My Time" sub-chapters is revealed through the fourth and final section, and only readily apparent provided the reader is already familiar with the aforementioned sections of Walt's Time. The fourth sub-chapter illustrates Sherman's zeal for life despite the many losses he suffered. Also implied is the author's desire to live his life on his own terms, a theme consistent throughout the book as a whole. "My Time" (part 4) covers Sherman's life experiences during the fourteen years between the publication of Walt's Time and the completion of Moose (1998-2012).

Critical acclaim

  • Charles Shubow of BroadwayWorld.com wrote: "It's a fascinating book about a fascinating man. It follows his life growing up and his time during World War II. But the parts about Disney and the making of Mary Poppins are worth the read...I highly recommend the book."[8]
  • George Taylor of The Disney Review wrote: "I will say, right off the bat, that it's an incredibly enjoyable read."[9]
  • Jeff Heimbuch of Mice Chat wrote: "We know Robert as one half of the prolific song writing team, but this book proves that he was also a fantastic writer as well."[9]
  • Tim Calloway of The Mouse Castle wrote: "The book is a wonderful telling of episodes in Robert Sherman's life from his harrowing service during World War II (a battle wound would force him to walk with a cane for the rest of his life) to his award-winning success at Disney writing songs with his brother Richard."[10]
  • Phil Mounsey of Publishing Today wrote: "AuthorHouse UK is proud to be the publisher of this fine memoir, Moose, by one of the few in the world, who was an insider to the magic and reality of Disney and Hollywood in their pomp and who can truly say he was there; Robert B. Sherman."[11]
  • Dizradio.com wrote: "Robert B. Sherman brings his true story to light in his autobiography, Moose: Chapters From My Life. Sherman holds nothing back in the candid book, from the horrors he saw as a frontline liberator in World War II to his successful career alongside Walt Disney in the 1960s and beyond.[12]

Saving Mr. Banks meets Moose

In 2010, mutual acquaintances of Moose editor, Robert J. Sherman, and Saving Mr. Banks producer

Pamela Travers") during which Disney derides Travers for insisting that there is "No Red In London". Although the characters speaking the dialogue are different than those portrayed in the book, the dialogue is nearly identical.[14] About the "No Red In London" sequence, scriptwriter Kelly Marcel later blogged, "Anything that shocked me and surprised me went in, because that's how you make drama, you know? I think the one that freaked me out the most, that I could not believe, was that she wouldn't allow the color red to be in the film."[15]

British Book Launch – A Spoonful of Sherman

On January 6, 2014, Moose editor,

MusicWorld (UK)
. Joanne Benjamin and Clive Chenery of The Entertainment Business were general managers, James Albrecht of St. James Theatre Productions running front of house.

A Spoonful of Sherman received outstanding notices, garnering four stars from Clive Davis of the

original cast recording was released both digitally and on CD by SimG Records.[24] In 2017 a pared down version of the show returned to London and it was announced in December 2017 that the show will be embarking on its first UK/Ireland tour in 2018.[25]

Publishing details

A First Edition of Moose: Chapters From My Life was published by

ISBN 1-4918-8381-2). It is also available electronically on Amazon Kindle. In October 2016 the unabridged audiobook version of the book was released by Orchard Hill Press (Audible Audiobooks, ASIN B01M10102G) with Robert J. Sherman reading the text, the total running time clocked at 11 hours, 43 minutes.[26]

References

  1. Sherman, Robert B., Walt's Time: From Before To Beyond[1]
  2. ^ "Robert B. Sherman – Awards". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  3. ^ Sherman, "About Moose" in Moose: Chapters From My Life, p. xi.
  4. ^ a b Owen, Laura "Penguin Buys Self Publishing Service Author Solutions for 116m" gigaom.com, July 19, 2012
  5. ^ a b Sherman, "About Moose" in Moose: Chapters From My Life, p. xiii.
  6. ^ "Moose The Story of a Phenomenon". AuthorHouse Author Spotlight. February 1, 2014.
  7. ^ "Saving Mr. Banks - Credits". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  8. ^ Shubow, Charles (December 19, 2014). "Deathtrap at Everyman Theatre - Ho Ho Ho...A Whodunit for the Holidays!". broadwayworld.com.
  9. ^ a b Mice Chat. "Mousetalgia 273: Robert Sherman" Mice Chat, January 13, 2014
  10. ^ Callaway, Tim. "Robbie Sherman Talks About Robert Sherman and the Sherman Brothers in the MCL". The Mouse Castle Lounge. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  11. ^ "Songs, Music, Films, Laughter and Tears". Publishing Today wordpress.com. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  12. ^ "Songwriting with Walt: Behind-the-Scenes of Disney Classics in 'Moose'". DIZradio.com. 27 January 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. Moose: Chapters From My Life
    , p. 353-398
  14. ^ Sherman, "Tween Pavement and Stars" ("No Red In London") in Moose: Chapters From My Life, p. 372-375
  15. ^ Sciretta, Peter (13 December 2013). "Interview: Kelly Marcel On Writing 'Saving Mr. Banks'". SlashFilm. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  16. ^ Lawson, Rhiannon (April 26, 2014). "A Spoonful of Sherman (St James Theatre)". whatsonstage.com.
  17. ^ "St James Theatre - Events: A Spoonful of Sherman".
  18. ^ Davis, Clive. "A Spoonful of Sherman at the St. James Theatre, SW1" The Times, January 15, 2014
  19. ^ Shenton, Mark. "A Spoonful of Sherman" The Stage, April 22, 2014
  20. ^ Honoré, Patrick. "A Spoonful of Sherman – St James Studio Theatre" Musical Theatre Review, January 19, 2014
  21. ^ Anderson, Gemma (April 21, 2014). "Review: A Spoonful of Sherman, St James Theatre". ayoungertheatre.com.
  22. ^ Robert J. Sherman comments on "A Spoonful of Sherman" facebook.com, accessed August 1, 2015
  23. ^ Lawson, Rhiannon (April 26, 2014). "A Spoonful of Sherman (St James Theatre)". whatsonstage.com.
  24. ^ "SimG Records: A Spoonful of Sherman: Original Cast Recording". simgproductions.com. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  25. ^ BWW News Desk (December 20, 2017). "Sherman Brothers Musical to Tour UK". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  26. ^ "Moose Audible Audiobook". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved October 9, 2016.

External links

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