Writing in an Age of Silence by Sara Paretsky

This memoir by acclaimed mystery writer Sara Paretsky left me with mixed feelings. Published in 2007, shortly after the Republicans lost Congress in the mid-term elections, this book contains a fascinating analysis of U.S. culture. In particular, I was captivated by Paretsky’s feminist analysis of the U.S. myth – some would say self-destructive myth – of rugged individualism. I was also fascinated by her description of the racism, anti-communist paranoia and hypocrisy of the United States in the 20th century.

Unfortunately, the last chapter of the book is a complete disaster. Like many literary train wrecks the concluding section is based on good intentions. Disturbed by the Bush Administration’s reaction to September 11th, and in particular the passing of the Patriot Act, Paretsky writes a passionate defence of free speech. Her tone, however, is so shrill that it could pass of as a left-wing version of Fox News. Furthermore, some of her claims are highly dubious.

As a case in point, the last chapter argues, among other things, that media concentration in the publishing industry will limit the number of writers who can get published. This point, however, is contradicted by an earlier observation in which Paretsky writes that there are now so many female writers telling stories with strong women heroes that she can’t keep track of them all. Moreover, reading her memoir in 2009 with President Obama in the White House, the reader can be forgiven for thinking that her pessimism about the Unites States is highly exaggerated. This point becomes ironic when we find out that Paretsky lives in Chicago, the city that President Obama has called home for many years. In short, I found this book to be well written and fascinating in parts, while shrill and grossly one-sided in others.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars