How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences (American Lives) Paperback – March 1, 2020 by Sue William Silverman

Description

Author: Silverman Sue William

Brand: University of Nebraska Press

Package Dimensions: 15x216x295

Number Of Pages: 222

Release Date: 01-03-2020

Details: Product Description
2021 Clara Johnson Award from Jane’s Stories Press Foundation
2020 Gold Winner for Autobiography & Memoir in the Foreword INDIES

Many are haunted and obsessed by their own eventual deaths, but perhaps no one as much as Sue William Silverman. This thematically linked collection of essays charts Silverman’s attempt to confront her fears of that ultimate unknown. Her dread was fomented in part by a sexual assault, hidden for years, that led to an awareness that death and sex are in some ways inextricable, an everyday reality many women know too well.

Through gallows humor, vivid realism, and fantastical speculation,
How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences explores this fear of death and the author’s desire to survive it. From cruising New Jersey’s industry-blighted landscape in a gold Plymouth to visiting the emergency room for maladies both real and imagined to suffering the stifling strictness of an intractable piano teacher, Silverman guards her memories for the same reason she resurrects archaic words—to use as talismans to ward off the inevitable. Ultimately, Silverman knows there is no way to survive death physically. Still, through language, commemoration, and metaphor, she searches for a sliver of transcendent immortality.
Review
One of 9 Essay Collections Feminists Should Read in 2020 ~~ BITCH MEDIA
”
Silverman’s fourth memoir is really about coming to terms with physical death while seeking to create immortal work.” Evette Dionne,
Bitch Media

“Silverman’s new book is a joyously unconventional memoir written at least in part as a hedge against mortality. It will shake loose memories, invite you to ponder, and, maybe best of all, make you laugh. This is a marvelously written, imaginative, and seriously funny book.” Abigail Thomas, New York Times best-selling author

“With true originality and wit, Silverman takes readerson a wild ride through time, memory, pleasure, and trauma. What remains isa deeply human portrait of one woman’s resilience and the power of her spirit.I couldn’t put it down.” Christina Haag, New York Times best selling author

“Self-aware, quirky, and fiercely intelligent…Silverman achieves a kind of immortality. Because of the distinctive subject matter and Silverman’s vast writing talents, the book will appeal to new and experienced readers alike. Read any random passage from any random page, and your ears will be delighted by a kaleidoscope of sound.” Hippocampus Magazine

“The book’s title may suggest this is a morbid book; yet, Silverman in her own clever way leans towards tongue-in-cheek, mixing pop culture, literature, and history with her stories and, of course, her unending quest to survive.”
Brevitymag.com

About the Author
Sue William Silverman is a memoirist, poet, and teacher of writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has published several books, including
Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You;
Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction;
The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew (Nebraska, 2014); and
Fearless Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir.