I Would Tell You If I Could: and other stories

by David Sylvester

In his debut collection Mr. Sylvester shows us what happens in the spaces that open up between people - when connections are missed or broken - and we find ourselves struggling to create meaning in an indifferent universe. These characters stand on shaky ground, lives that did not go according to plan. Here are stories that ask how do we pick up the pieces and move on when everything has changed and we find ourselves in a liminal space between one self and the next, reaffirming our need for human connections by imagining the alternative. Written with a lyrical ear, these stories engage, unfolding slowly, compelling the reader to what happens next. Sometimes darkly comedic, always poignant, they create room for the reader to participate. Mr. Sylvester studied literature and creative writing at The University at Albany, the College of Saint Rose, the New York State Writers Institute and creative writing workshops too numerous to list. He offers a workshop in reading the short story through the Upper Hudson Library System in Troy, New York. Originally from The Bronx, he lives in Watervliet, NY with the artist Lori Baracco Sylvester and their cat Sherlock. For more information visit www.davidsylvester.net

121 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Anthony David Bernard Sylvester CBE, (21 September 1924; London – 19 June 2001; London) was a British art critic and curator. During a long career David Sylvester was influential in promoting modern art in Britain, in particular the work of Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.

Born into a well connected north-London Jewish family, Sylvester had trouble as a student at University College School and was thrown out of the family home. He wrote for the paper Tribune and went to Paris in 1947 where he met Alberto Giacometti one of the strongest influences on him. Though writing for a range of publications as a critic including The Observer and New Statesman the main thrust of his writing that direct response to the artwork was most important remained constant. Sylvester is credited with coining the term kitchen sink originally to describe a strand of post-war British painting typified by John Bratby. Sylvester used the phrase negatively but it was widely applied to other art forms including literature and theatre. During the 1950s Sylvester worked with Henry Moore, Freud and Bacon but also supported Richard Hamilton and the other 'Young Turks' of British pop art. This led him to become a prominent media figure in the 1960s. During the 1960s and 70s Sylvester occupied a number of roles at the Arts Council of Great Britain serving on advisory panels and on the main panel. In 1969 he curated a Renoir exhibition at the Hayward Gallery for which he was assisted by a young Nicholas Serota.