Roberta Silman’s engaging and deeply felt novel is a reminder of what it means to carry a historical burden on both a personal and national level.
Roberta Silman
The Annual Arts Fuse Holiday Gift Roundup — Tips From Enthusiasts
Wondering about what to give the arts and culture lover on your gift list? Some suggestions.
Fuse Books: Notable Volumes, For Better or Worse, in 2015
Our demanding critics supply lists of books that piqued their interest this of the year.
Book News: “The Old Priest” — A Finalist for the 2014 PEN/Hemingway Award
Arts Fuse writer Anthony Wallace talks about the latest accolade for his short story collection “The Old Priest” — it was a finalist for the 2014 PEN/Hemingway Award.
Fuse Theater Review: Best Stage Productions of 2013
Fuse Theater critics pick some of the outstanding shows of the past year.
Book Review: Classic Coming-of-Age?—The Chester Chronicles
Kermit Moyer’s exquisitely written book, conceived with the greatest care and written with an art that conveys artlessness (the highest art of all), is a welcome addition to the American canon. The Chester Chronicles by Kermit Moyer. Permanent Press, 231 pages, $28. By Roberta Silman. As the epigraph for his first novel, Kermit Moyer quotes […]
World Books Update: Of ‘Denial’ and other matters
By Bill Marx In my other life, as editor of World Books for The World, BBC/PRI’s national radio program dedicated to international news, I write and edit book reviews as well commentaries and interviews. I also host a monthly podcast dedicated to global literature, which is available through ITunes. The most recent pieces posted on […]
Fuse Flash: Postscript on Wordfest at The Mount
By Roberta Silman Although all the statistical material about the demography of Wordfest has yet to be compiled, the word is out that this newest event at The Mount was an amazing success. About 500 people attended events at the grounds of The Mount and nearby at Seven Hills (the fundraising dinner) over the weekend […]
Fuse Books: Edith Wharton’s The Mount Sponsors the First Annual Berkshire Wordfest
With the establishment of Wordfest, a celebration of writing in America with talks, interviews, panels, and book signings, The Mount seems to be coming into its own in ways that make it more alive than ever before. By Roberta Silman When we first built our home in the Berkshires in the early 70s, I remember […]
Book Review: A Rat’s Tale
Readers should not be put off by the title, for this is a splendid novel, interesting in the risks it takes, in its ambition and scope—a book that deserves to be savored and discussed. Rat by Fernanda Eberstadt, Knopf, 304 pages, $25.95 Reviewed by Roberta Silman They have always been with us, those “casual offspring,” […]