Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader

by Sue William Silverman

The essays in Selected Misdemeanors range from short to flash to micro length, focusing on pivotal, often fleeting moments that define the course of a life.
 

Genres: Nonfiction

204 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2025

About the author

Sue William Silverman's new memoir-in-essays is HOW TO SURVIVE DEATH and OTHER INCONVENIENCES (University of Nebraska Press), and was listed as "1 of 9 essay collections feminists should read in 2020" by Bitch Media. Her previous memoirs are THE PAT BOONE FAN CLUB: MY LIFE AS A WHITE ANGLO-SAXON JEW (University of Nebraska Press); LOVE SICK: ONE WOMAN'S JOURNEY THROUGH SEXUAL ADDICTION (W.W. Norton), which also aired as a Lifetime Television original movie, and BECAUSE I REMEMBER TERROR, FATHER, I REMEMBER YOU (University of Georgia Press), which won the AWP award in creative nonfiction. Her craft book is FEARLESS CONFESSIONS: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO MEMOIR, and her poetry collections are IF THE GIRL NEVER LEARNS (Brick Mantel Books) and HIEROGLYPHICS IN NEON (Orchises Press). As a professional speaker she has appeared on "The View," "Anderson Cooper-360," "CNN-Headline News," the Montel Williams Show, and the Discovery Channel. She teaches in the MFA in Writing program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Reviews

[Norm Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sue William Silverman's Selected Misdemeanors is a deeply resonant collection of essays that invites readers to explore the seemingly minor, yet profoundly impactful, moments of life.

The title suggests a playful examination of past actions—some significant and others seemingly trivial—that have collectively shaped the author's identity and worldview.

This isn't merely a collection of stories; it's a richly woven, fragmented memoir that skillfully intertwines themes of memory, identity, trauma, and survival, creating an engaging narrative tapestry.

The opening section, "Strange Entanglements," takes readers on a poignant journey back to the author's childhood, where the intricacies of family dynamics and the turbulence of obsessive love come to life.

With evocative imagery and lyrical prose, the author immerses us in those formative years, allowing us to feel the weight of joy, confusion, and longing.

Each scene invites us to peer through a window into a world shaped by complex relationships, illustrating how these early experiences leave lasting imprints on our identities and emotional landscapes.

In the second section, "How To and How Not," the spotlight shifts to raw struggles with addiction, therapy, and fragmented relationships.

This part presents an unflinching account of the chaotic journey toward self-discovery, capturing the messy realities many face when confronting their inner demons.

The author pulls readers into the heart of the battle, detailing the challenges of navigating recovery while grappling with mental health issues.

The honest reflections resonate deeply, providing a relatable exploration of what it means to seek understanding and connection amidst personal turmoil. In sharing her struggles, Silverman offers a hand of understanding to those who may be facing similar battles, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.

The final section, "Grieflets," delves into the heavy themes of loss, mental illness, and vulnerability.

Each essay within this part illuminates the emotional landscape of grief, painting vivid portraits of experiences that shape our beliefs and identities. The weight of loss is felt in every word, yet unexpected flashes of resilience emerge, offering glimmers of hope.

These moments counterbalance the sorrow and inspire a sense of perseverance, reminding readers of the beauty that can exist even in the darkest times. Each essay, though short and succinct, leaves a lasting impression, making its mark on the reader's heart and mind.

These moments counterbalance the sorrow and inspire a sense of perseverance, reminding readers of the beauty that can exist even in the darkest times.

Each essay, though short and succinct, leaves a lasting impression, making its mark on the reader's heart and mind.

The collection's enduring impact is a testament to the power of Silverman's storytelling and the depth of her exploration of the human experience.

In terms of style, the essays maintain a clear, engaging, and trustworthy narrative voice that invites connection without alienating the audience. The writing is intimate and confessional, as if the author is sharing closely held secrets. Thought-provoking closing lines invite profound contemplation, sparking reflection long after the pages are turned, making the audience feel included and engaged in the narrative.

This approach allows space for readers' reflection, inviting them to consider their own life experiences alongside those of Silverman. Ultimately, everyday objects and seemingly minor moments are transformed, gaining new significance as gateways to understanding the complexities of human knowledge, leaving readers with a sense of enlightenment and inspiration.

What truly enhances the reading experience is the non-linear structure, which whimsically dances through different times and places—from childhood escapades in St. Thomas to contemplative moments in a psychiatric unit in Georgia.

Everyday objects become powerful symbols, serving as anchors through memories and experiences, adding a tangible quality to the narrative that readers can practically touch.

Two distinct narrative voices enrich this collection: one embodies the innocence and immediacy of youth, while the other reflects with wisdom and distance.

This interplay deepens each story, allowing readers to navigate the complexities of the author's journey with heightened emotional engagement.

The core question the collection invites readers to consider revolves less around survival or escape and more around the implications of what one carries forward in life.

Silverman challenges readers to reckon with the emotional burdens they bear, representing memory as a silent accumulation that exists without judgment or celebration.

It serves as a reminder that even the smallest events can carry immense significance.

For those seeking a collection that dives deep into the heart of what it means to be human, this book is an absolute must-read.

Follow Here https://is.gd/UFmNdJ To Read Norm's Interview With Sue William Silverman

[Nancy Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an ARC of this book. For readers and fans of Sue William Silverman’s previous memoirs, her latest book, Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader, covers both new and familiar territory with fresh and innovative approaches. In short pieces experimenting with variations on form, photos, and words, the narrator’s language is evocative and precise, cutting like a surgeon’s fresh scalpel. She holds her memories aloft for examination, viewing them from different angles, without flinching from difficult times, even importing words from other languages for exactitude. In one particularly evocative scene, “The Silence Detector,” the narrator describes visiting a school friend, noticing that her little sister shows scars from cigarette burns. For perhaps the first time, she recognizes mistreatment in another child’s home and writes about family secrets: “A silence that never stops burning.” Silverman ruptures that isolating silence with her truths.

I highly recommend Sue Silverman’s latest memoir for the craft with which she controls and elevates both language and her memories, and for the brutal honesty she models for other memoirists.

[Nancy Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue William Silverman's newest group of essays will sear you to the core. Spread across a full life's timeline, the moments in these flash and micro nonfiction pieces come at the reader with unexpected impact. Silverman mixes happy memories with horrific ones and brings a good balance of tears and laughter. She is unabashed, brilliant with her metaphors, and unapologetic. Silverman is not looking for sympathy, instead she generates empathy which we all need more of. We can't know what another's life has brought them if we don't learn about it. She points to how succinct moments can have tremendous effects on all of us. Though some of the difficult memories come at the reader from an unexpected sideline, the complications are given in tiny doses. Highly recommend this collection for its impact, for craft, and for understanding life.

[Rebecca Gummere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gorgeous book, Sue William Silverman's latest gift to the essay and memoir canon, will stay with me for a long time. In lush prose, dense yet deftly wrought imagery, and propulsive arcs, Silverman paints a vivid portrait of herself, the child-into-woman, living fiercely, reaching toward the wholeness she was denied through childhood abuse by her father. (Full disclosure, I love anything Sue William Silverman writes, and the book was gifted to me by the author.) Once I opened the pages, I was unable to willingly lay it aside, and when I had to (life calls), I could not stop thinking about the world she had drawn me into and couldn't wait to climb back in. Searingly honest, Silverman holds nothing back. Five golden stars for another beautiful essay collection by this amazing writer.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silverman's latest work is an incredible collection of poetry, photography, and essay that shows her readers you can hold a mirror up to yourself and re-examine critical moments in your life to discover new truths and insights years later. Using the micro-essay form, Silverman takes us back to her childhood, her marriages and other key moments in her life, but she doesn't just re-tell she re-examines her own actions within those moments. Silverman manages to hold the hand of her younger self while evaluating the bigger picture of the moments themselves in the story of her life, and she does it in such few words. Silverman is an incredible writer and artist. This latest work is just another source of inspiration for me from her.

[Melissa Grunow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down! Selected Misdemeanors is a collection of flash essays by the indelible Sue William Silverman, exploring how we negotiate desire and outcomes with a compelling voice and controlled prose. No word is wasted, no emotion left untapped. It’s a masterful collection from one of our most skilled storytellers.

[Tifany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selected Misdemeanors tells the story of a life marked by trauma, yet illuminated by moments of light and resilience.

There’s no self-pity here – just raw, unapologetic glimpses into her lived experience. She holds nothing back, and the reader becomes a witness, almost voyeuristic, as her life unfolds on the page.
Through her storytelling, the author’s voice is unmistakably clear – you see her, you hear her, and you feel with her.

Selected Misdemeanors is a powerful, immersive read that captivates from start to finish.

Note that I received an ARC of this book. All views expressed here are my own and offered truthfully.

[Gina Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the easy to pick up and put down reads that are great to have around. You can come back to it over and over.

Sue William Silverman has done a fabulous job of bringing herself into her words effortlessly.

Wonderful read.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great gems in here.

I find that this would makes a good introduction to the genre, and is a good anthology to have on the shelf overall.

Well put together and even though it's a collection, there really is a great flow.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader by Sue William Silverman might be one of the most unforgettable memoirs I’ve read in a while. It's raw, fragmented, poetic, like recalling a memory itself. She writes in vivid, sensory flashes; a dress, a scent, a moment, a wound. Some parts sharp, others shadowy. It's gorgeous and gutting.

Silverman has lived a vast and challenging life, suffering from SA from her father to managing life and multiple marriages as a sex addict. Still, her hope and soul and writing remains beautiful.


Read this if you're feeling a quick read that will leave you devastated but inspired.

I received an arc in exchange for my honest review.
#booksthatmakeyou #memoir #bookreview #nonfiction #essays

[Samantha Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bit of a blend of the genre. Short stories and essays, we are getting stories from the authors own life so memoir type.

Her point of view is quite accurate and objective.