His novel southernmost will be published in june 2018. House graduated from eastern kentucky university with a ba in english, specializing in american literature. This is a novel of painful, finally revelatory awakening, of fierce love and necessary disaster, of the bravery required to escape the prison of our days, to make a better and more worthy life. In silas houses southernmost, pastor grapples with. The book tells the story of evangelical minister in a small tennessee town who loses his job, his wife, and custody of his son after giving a sermon defending the rights of gay people.
Letitia montgomeryrodgers interviews silas house, author. Silas dwane house born august 7, 1971 is an american writer best known for his novels. In silas houses southernmost, a pastor grapples with the evolution of his beliefs. The novel opens in the wake of a catastrophic flood that all but destroys a small tennessee town, as seen. There are characters and points of view to which he, and his readers, are more sympathetic. This is a novel of painful, finally revelatory awakening, of fierce love and necessary disaster, of the bravery required to. The themes of social change and parentandchild bonds are at the center of houses new novel, southernmost, which will be released in june. Critically acclaimed author silas houses a parchment of leaves was named kentucky novel of the year and won a special achievement award from the fellowship of southern writers. Jennifer haigh, author of heat and light in this stunning novel about judgment, courage, heartbreak, and change, author silas house wrestles with the limits of belief and the infinite ways to love.
Vaswani 2012as well as a book of creative nonfictionsomethings. Silas house books list of books by author silas house. After a violent flood tears through their town, asher provides shelter for a gay couple despite the religious conservatism of the area. Best food writing, 2015 and new stories from the south, the years best. His latest book is southernmost june 2018, which has been long listed for the carnegie medal for excellence in fiction and was a top ten southern bestseller.
The book explores the collision of gay rights and fundamentalist. In silas houses sixth novel, a tennessee preachers family life falls apart when he accepts a gay couple into his church. Houses writing often appears in the new york times. Silas house has 26 books on goodreads with 47623 ratings. Silas house is the author of five novels, including the new york times bestseller a parchment of leaves. In silas houses moving new novel, a pastor wrestles with a crisis not just of faith. His writing has been published multiple times in the new york times as well as in publications such as newsday, narrative, oxford american, paste, and many others.
He is the winner of the storylines prize from the new york public library, the appalachian book of the year, the. That is one of the many reasons southernmost is a novel for our moment. Clays quilt, a parchment of leaves, the coal tattoo, eli the good, and same sun here, and somethings rising. Author silas house blogs about writing, the writing life, books, movies, nature, religion, politics, and other things that generally concern conscious people. Houses fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class characters, and the plight of the rural place and rural people. To read more about silas house and his work, check out his website.
House s silas house is the nationally bestselling author of five novelsclays quilt, 2001. In silas houses moving new novel, a pastor wrestles with a crisis not just of faith, but of all the apparent certainties of his life. Pandora january 27, noon common readsame sun here foley middle school berea, kentucky february 26 appalachian voices event with robert kennedy, jr. Enter the world of silas houses southernmost with an open mind and a clear slate. Letitia montgomeryrodgers interviews silas house, author of southernmost we see it playing out politically in the way trumps rural base is ridiculed as deplorable by the coastal elites, and the usvsthem scare tactics used by the national rifle association to. Silas houses new novel southernmost follows asher sharp, an evangelical preacher in tennessee struggling with his fundamentalist beliefs.
Silas house is the nationally bestselling author of five novelsclays. House is a member of the fellowship of southern writers and is the winner of the e. He is a frequent contributor to the new york times and a former commentator for nprs all. Silas house is the nationally bestselling author of five novels, three plays, and a work of creative nonfiction. White award, the nautilus award, the appalachian book of the year, the hobson medal for literature, and other honors. His book for middlegrade readers, same sun here, was a finalist for the e. In silas houses latest novel, southernmost, asher, an evangelical preacher in a small tennessee town, offers shelter to a gay couple after their home is destroyed in a flood. Yet this generous act is met with derision from the town, leading asher to question his life choices in this heartbreaking but lovely meditation on love and fear in all its permutations. Kentucky author silas house reads from his new novel, southernmost. Faith, gay rights collide in silas house novel southernmost. A road novel that mixes warmth, empathy, tragedy, and hope. But in his latest book, southernmost, house plunges readers into the life. A novel for our time, a courageous and necessary book.
He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. Silas house s new novel takes on universal themes by kim thomas k entucky author silas house first learned that language has power while sitting on the porch with my parents and aunts and uncles, hearing them tell stories that brought the past alive. Silas house, a man born and raised in the hills of eastern kentucky, is the author of three novels, including the muchballyhooed clays quilt. Author silas house on faith and new novel southernmost. Silas house is the author of five novels, including a parchment of leaves. Southernmost by silas house reading guidebook club. Silas house is the new york times bestselling author of six novels and one book of creative nonfiction. See all books authored by silas house, including clays quilt, and a parchment of leaves, and more on. He is a frequent contributor to the new york times and a former commentator for nprs all things considered. House is the author of the bestselling books clays quilt, a parchment of leaves, the coal tattoo, somethings rising, eli the good, and same sun here. This is a novel of painful, finally revelatory awakening, of fierce love.
The story begins as asher, a pentecostal pastor, contends with a devastating flood. Silas house will discuss his book southernmost at union ave. A frequent contributor to the new york times and a former commentator for nprs all things considered, house is a member of the fellowship of southern writers and is the winner of the nautilus award, the appalachian writers associations book. Ashers generosity is influenced in part by the immense guilt that remains from. The first four novels of kentucky author silas house follow that pattern. Silas house is the nationally bestselling author of five novelsclays quilt, 2001. Novelist, activist, and educator silas house discusses his book to be released later this year that focuses on parenthood, his work as an advocate for environmental and gender equity causes, and. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. In 1917 rural kentucky, saul sullivan marries a beautiful cherokee woman named vine.
Silas house biography silas house is the author of five novels, including a parchment of leaves. Whether working, playing, laughing, praying, driving, crying, singing, fighting, dancing, hollering, or loving, these people do it passionately and with every fiber of their beings. Silas houses new book southernmost tells the story of asher sharp an evangelical preacher who sees. Novelist, activist, and educator silas house discusses his book to be released later this year that focuses on parenthood, his work as. His work in nonfiction has centered on eradicating the savage, crippling practice of mountaintop removal mining, which. Kentuckybased national bestselling author silas house has a new novel about to hit bookstores.
At a time when generosity seems in short supply and everyone can. Kentucky author silas house reads from his new novel youtube. Boyle, dana spiotta, amy bloom, aimee bender, heidi julavits. Jennifer haigh, author of heat and light this contemporary spiritual journey is also a love story and a classic road novela chasefilled with unrelenting suspense all. Clays quilt, a parchment of leaves, the coal tattoo, eli the good, and same sun here. Armed with this phrase, we say our goodbyes, and, after a brief lunch at noodle nirvana where i tried houses recommended offthemenu special, i departed for lexington. His latest book is southernmost june 2018, which has. The hurting part 2005, this is my heart for you 2012, and in. Preceding contributors involve jesmyn ward, lauren groff, bret easton ellis, celeste ng, t. In silas house s moving new novel, a pastor wrestles with a crisis not just of faith, but of all the apparent certainties of his life. A frequent contributor to the new york times and a former commentator for nprs all things considered, house is a member of the fellowship of southern writers and is the winner of the nautilus award, the appalachian writers associations book of. Columbus dispatch in silas houses moving new novel, a pastor wrestles with a crisis not just of faith, but of all the apparent certainties of his life. New york city, ny march 10 oak ridge high school common readeli the good march 12.
Clays quilt is a powerful novel lovingly and masterfully pieced from the lives of the residents of free creek, kentucky. Silas house discusses his new novel southernmost intro by. Born in 1971, silas house, a musician as well as writer, is from eastern kentucky and still lives and works in his hometown of lily, kentucky. Silas houses most recent book is southernmost, a literary pageturner about an evangelical pastor who kidnaps his own son after standing up against intolerance in a small rural community southernmost is a meditation on love and its consequences in a quickly changing america. But in his latest book, southernmost, house plunges readers into the life of asher sharp at the very moment it cracks open. He has written a play, the hurting part, and is debuting another this year. Years ago, asher rejected his gay brother, and now the country is in fierce debate over marriage equality. Houses next book, the coal tattoo 2004, was a finalist for the southern book critics circle prize as well as winning the appalachian writers association. Among the book s honors are the weatherford award in appalachian literature and a longlisting for the carnegie. Im a longtime fan of silas house, and this book stands out to me.
Could it be divine punishment for the supreme courts legalization of gay marriage. They weather the storm of prejudice, but when saul temporarily moves away to work a better job, his younger brother makes advances. A frequent contributor to the new york times and a former commentator for nprs all things considered, house is a member of the fellowship of southern writers and is the winner of the nautilus award, the appalachian writers associations book of the. Southernmost opens with a devastating flood in cumberland valley, tennessee.
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