Move Over, Scopes: and Other Writings

by Julian Silva

Move Over, Scopes and Other Writings both extends Julian Silva's richly-textured portrait of Portuguese-American community life in his narrative diptych, Distant Music , and enlarges it to include subjects as varied as backbiting London theatre has-beens ("The Waxworks Show"), a final pilgrimage to the Brontë parsonage ("A Visit to Haworth"), and recollections of a Japanese-American babysitter interned following Pearl Harbor ("Kimi"). As always, Silva is fully attentive to descriptive detail and apt choice of metaphor―nowhere more so than in recalling livestock being raised and dispatched in "Coming to Terms with the Facts of Animal Life." The novella Move Over, Scopes , however, does it all, as Henry Ramos attempts to mollify fellow Portuguese-American Catholics―led by his own wife Louise―outraged over Estelle Dobson teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. Twists and turns include machinations of a hotly contested School Board election and the need to resist Miss Dobson's seductive appeal. At a time when Creationism may be making a come-back, Move Over, Scopes could not be more timely.

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2011

Reviews

[Charmaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A beguiling historical document of the 19th century diaspora coupled with the authors' conspicuous erudition gives us a lively account of the Portuguese community in the San Francisco Bay Area. With other writings the authors' women are given vigorous voice, particularly Miss Dobson with her commitment to Darwin and her fancy for tweed; clearly drawn, with spirit. My own personal favourite, the glamorous Zelda and her final odyssey to Howarth; the damp mist on her ericaceous nosegay, palpable.

His women are the heroes and the hero is the authors' father in My Jo. Arm in arm with Mr Silva we perambulate through the East Bay and meet his family of characters beautifully crafted, with whimsical narrative; championing the cause of the wounded without condescension and always with an eye to "the end" making for an animated and depressing read. An Azorean Bennett.

Plenty of lace from Madeira but why does no one play the Ukulele?"