Wednesday
April 24, 2019
Subscribe
Print or Web publication

Roberta Silman

Roberta Silman is the author of the story collection Blood Relations and of three novels, Boundaries, The Dream Dredger, and Beginning the World Again. She writes regularly for the online magazine The Arts Fuse.

The Swiveling Light of Truth placeholder image

The Swiveling Light of Truth

Remembering Grace Paley and her wise, fierce, funny, sad, innovative short stories

by Roberta Silman | Monday, September 01, 2008
Without Wendy placeholder image

Without Wendy

by Roberta Silman | Sunday, March 01, 2009
The Sugar Road

The Sugar Road

George has never spoken a word. He's not like other boys. What risk is there in trying to unlock the secrets of his silence?

by Roberta Silman | Monday, March 25, 2013
Smarty Pants Podcast

Newsletter

THIS WEEK’S ARCHIVE PICK

2nd Look

What Is a Dog?

by Chloe Shaw

We admit that unofficial, national fill-in-the-blank days can sometimes feel contrived. (National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, anyone?) But National Hug Your Dog Day (April 10) is too good not to celebrate, especially if it means we can revisit one of our favorite essays: Chloe Shaw’s “What Is a Dog?” from our Spring 2018 issue. After losing a beloved hound named Booker—described as a “wolf meets horse meets dinosaur meets tongue”—Shaw confronts the joys and inevitable sorrows of loving a pet. “A dog is a second chance. A dog is death and life. A dog is plush red carpet and fresh warm pee.” A dog is worth celebrating, and not only on April 10.