Welcome to Helen Silverstein's website! Helen writes both fiction and creative non-fiction. Helen is co- editor for The Southern Women's Review:
Helen writes flash fiction, short stories,creative non-fiction, novels and poetry. She is currently experimenting with brief or flash forms of creative non-fiction.
Helen considers Maine the home of her heart, but currently lives in Alabama. She finds every chance she can to scoot up to Maine for a breath of fresh ocean air. Helen is also a big fan of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama--especially the football team. War Eagle! She also loves the Alabama coast.
Helen writes fiction with incredible grace and emotional eloquence. She is a beautiful story teller and her stories are filled with compassion and insight. -Alison Smith, Author of Name All The Animals: www.namealltheanimals.com
-Dr. Brooks Appelbaum, Quinnipiac University, Playwright and Author -Evan Farrar, M. Div.,Crisis Counselor
I read "Dandelions" and it brought tears to my eyes. Helen's prose is like the first line of this piece: "suddenly a big, blue sky opens wide...". In that short flash, Helen conjures such sweetness, and just before tipping into sugar, snaps the reader into a moment of darkness that balances the piece perfectly.
Her novel Water All Around Me should be required reading for all social workers. -Lori Dorsey, LCSW
Helen weaves her knowledge and experience of therapy together with families (frequently African-American in Alabama –where she currently lives- and Maine) to create stories that take an authentic look at family relationships and societal hardships. I think she is an amazing writer.
I just wanted to send you a quick
note to thank you for sending along samples of your writing. These are
powerful moments written with clean purposeful prose. "Burn Pile" is
wonderfully tense--you write about this couple's pain and anger extremely well. -Lewis Robinson, Author of Waterdogs:
Helen's instinctive grasp of character and her vivid sensory details make for compelling, honest and distinctive stories. Helen has a bright writing future. Her energy and passion for writing are inspiring." -Elizabeth Searle, author of numerous books of fiction including Celebrities Disgrace:
"Helen dramatizes Marty's predicament and life lovingly, with precision, but without sentimentality. Helen uses detail that is evocative and persuasive. She uses syntax and sentence variety professionally to manage tone. Helen's prose makes us care," -Author Alan Davis, Ph.D., Senior Editor of New Rivers Press at Minnesota State University. Dr. Davis has published three collections of stories and a novel. He has also co-edited ten volumes of the anthology American Fiction:
