Tag Archives: Sybil Steinberg

Roundup: Sybil Steinberg, School Safety, Garden Goodbye …

Posted on August 23, 2024 | 1 comment

During her life as an editor at Publisher’s Weekly, Sybil Steinberg amassed an enormous array of books: advance copies of the most revered works in literature, first editions, volumes signed by the authors and inscribed to the beloved Westporter.

Steinberg died earlier this year. At the Westport Library’s StoryFest 2024, many editions from her vast collection will be available for purchase.

Among the items: a first edition copy, inscribed to Steinberg, of Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club,” a signed copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Timequake,” and advance copies from authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Peter DeVries and Laura Z Hobson.

Also available: a compilation of past Sybil’s Lists, collections of her recommended books that she unveiled  regularly at the Library.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit StoryFest, the Library’s annual literary festival which this year is dedicated to Steinberg’s memory. A special dedication ceremony in her honor is set for Saturday, September 21 (1 p.m).

Sybil Steinberg

Sybil Steinberg

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When school starts next Tuesday, the Westport Police Department will increase traffic enforcement in school zones.

Officers will look for drivers using cell phones, speeding, and disregarding school bus signals.

Police remind commuters to allow for extra time, as school buses and students again take to the roads.

Homemade reminder, near Kings Highway Elementary School.

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As summer winds down, the Westport Community Gardens growing season nears an end.

As plans proceed for a new Long Lots Elementary School, the final resolution of the gardens is up i the air.

Sally Kleinman calls the end of the season “always a bittersweet experience.”

But, she writes, yesterday “was particularly sad. I couldn’t resist channeling the last episode of ‘M*A*S*H,’ using the rocks that had lined one of my beds.”

If you remember that classic show from 1983 — the finale after 11 memorable years — you’ll instantly recognize Sally’s message.

If you haven’t: Well, it was TV at its finest.

Click below to see:

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Joni Mitchell is the focus of the next First Folk Sunday.

Acoustic guitarist Suzanne Sheridan — founder of the monthly event — will be joined by keyboardist Bob Cooper and violinist Cat Lines on September 1 (Saugatuck Rowing Club, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.), in a tribute to the legendary singer/songwriter.

The music cover charge is $15 per ticket; click here to purchase, and for more information.

A special First Folk Sunday menu will be available, and the Rowing Club bar will be open.

For more information, call 203-984-7562.

Bob Cooper, Suzanne Sheridan, Cat Lines

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Cat Malkin — the longtime Westporter; animal communicator, animal Reiki master and pet loss grief counselor, and co-author of “Overcoming Your Child’s Fear of Dogs” — hosts a Zoom fundraiser this Sunday (6 p.m.).

“Chat Pawty” with Minnie — the bulldog star of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” — is a chance to ask pet celebrity questions and win prizes.

It’s like “Oprah” — except animals are interviewed by Cat. Minnie will answer questions live. Cat will translate.

Prizes include a VIP Chat Pawty for your animal family, spa animal Reiki treatment, “Only Murders in the Building” Swag and more.

There’s a minimum donation of $20 (Venmo @HurleysHeart-BulldogRescue; note “Chat Pawty,” and add your email to receive the Zoom link and details.

Can’t make it live? You’ll receive a recording.

All proceeds benefit Hurley’s Heart Bulldog Rescue, a non-profit that rescues and rehabilitates French and English bulldogs.

Cat Malkin

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Lou Weinberg and his wife were enjoying a leisure paddle out to Cockenoe Island on Wednesday, when this bad boy rolled by.

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

The kayakers kept their distance. And wondered who was on board, and where they were headed.

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Earlier this year, “06880” sponsored a cool contest with Cohl Katz.

The Westport stylist to the stars offered her talents — a haircut and makeup application for women, a haircut and style for men — to 3 winners of a contest she and I cooked up.

We asked 3 trivia questions about famous current or past Westport or Weston residents. All have been Cohl’s clients.

Todd Pines knew that an actor who prepared for a role by eating only bananas, water and rice for a month was Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”).

Yesterday, he picked up his prize.

“Todd wanted a haircut he could just towel dry,” Cohl reports.

But he left with something extra: jalapeños from her garden.

That’s full service, for sure.

Todd Pines, and his peppers: Lookin’ good!

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is a bit different than usual.

Richard Fogel spotted this sign, at Wakeman Field:

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And finally … the upcoming First Folk Sunday honors Joni Mitchell (story above). Today, we honor her too:

(School will soon be open. Stay on top of all the news with “06880” — and please consider a contribution to help us share it with you. Please click here. Thank you!)

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Sybil Steinberg: Obituary And Services

Posted on March 18, 2024 | 10 comments

Sybil Joan (Schless) Steinberg — well-respected editor and book critic for Publishers Weekly and other outlets; longtime Westporter and avid civic volunteer, beloved for her long leadership of the Westport Library’s “Sybil’s List” book program — died yesterday in Sarasota, Florida, surrounded by family. She was 90 years old.

Her family says: “Sybil’s life was characterized by a love of literature from an early age, and a generosity of spirit that motivated her to share her book recommendations and literary observations with legions of adoring audiences.”

Sybil Steinberg

She was born on May 3, 1933, in Bridgeport to Marcus and Ann (Backer) Schless, who owned and ran a shoe store.

After graduating from Bridgeport Central High School, Sybil entered Smith College, majoring in English literature. She made the dean’s list all 4 years. She edited the Sophia student newspaper. and was named a Sophia Smith Scholar.

She graduated magna cum laude in 1954, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

At a friend’s wedding while home on break from Smith, Sybil gravitated to a small crowd gathered around a young doctor named Harold “Hal” Steinberg. He told a story about running into a friend in New York who was delivering a package to Oliver St. John Gogarty, the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Hal noticed that Sybil was the only one in the crowd who got the literary reference. He stealthily rearranged place cards so he could sit next to her at the reception. From there a romance blossomed.

Upon Sybil’s graduation from Smith, Hal persuaded her to decline a coveted job offer from Doubleday and to marry him instead. They were wed in November 1954. Hal did medical internships and residencies in Buffalo and Hartford, and a stint as an army physician at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

In 1960 the couple moved to Westport, where Hal established an internal medicine practice. They raised 3 sons: Jonathan, Peter, and Richard. Sybil and Hal remained Westport residents the rest of their lives.

While Sybil took readily to her role as a doctor’s wife, she remained active outside of the home. She founded and co-directed the Council Pre-School for Disadvantaged Children, securing state accreditation and incorporation into the Westport school system.

She also served as a part-time instructor for Famous Writers School in Westport, and freelanced for the Westport News and other publications.

Shortly after earning her master’s in education from Fairfield University in 1975, Sybil had a serendipitous encounter with fellow Westporter Jean Mercier, children’s book editor at Publishers Weekly. Jean asked Sybil to write a review, then offered a fill-in copyediting gig that eventually became a full-time position.

Sybil remained at PW for 25 years, ascending to fiction editor. She retired in 2001 as senior editor.

For 18 years she edited the Interviews section, conducting conversations with literary figures including John Updike, Annie Proulx and Faye Weldon.

A highlight of her tenure at PW was her interview with Salman Rushdie, still hiding in London 6 years after the fatwa.

Sybil edited three volumes of interviews compiled from the magazine: Writing For Your Life #1, #2, and #3. As a reviewer, Sybil’s work was nominated for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

She served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle, and made television appearances on “Charlie Rose,” C-SPAN, NBC, and CBS.

Sybil continued to review books and maintain her ties to the publishing industry well into retirement, contributing reviews to numerous media including the Washington Post. Her annual “Sybil’s List” lecture, in which she briefly described her favorite books of the year, drew standing room only crowds at the Westport Library and Bayport Beach and Tennis Club in Longboat Key, Florida, where she spent recent winters. The electronic version of “Sybil’s List” had an extensive digital circulation, reaching thousands of fans.

Sybil was predeceased by her husband Harold in 2016, and her brother Aaron in 2007. She is survived by her sons Jonathan Steinberg (Nancy Mullins) of Westport, Peter Steinberg (Susana Byers) of Easthampton, Massachusetts, and Richard Steinberg (Kristi Yoo Mee) of San Diego, and 8 grandchildren. She also leaves behind her beloved companion Matthew Sagal, who shared Sybil’s love of opera, cinema, fine dining, and life at Bayport.

Funeral services will take place on Thursday (March 21, 11 a.m., Temple Israel), followed by burial at Temple Israel Cemetery in Norwalk. The family will sit Shiva at the home of Jonathan Steinberg and Nancy Mullins on Thursday after the burial, with minyan around 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Sybil’s memory to the Westport Library, Fairfield County Hospice House or Planned Parenthood.

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Remembering Sybil Steinberg

Posted on March 18, 2024 | 6 comments

Sybil Steinberg — a longtime Westporter, noted Publishers Weekly editor, beloved Westport Library “Sybil’s List” curator, and mother of State Representative Jonathan Steinberg — died yesterday in Florida.

She retired from Publishers Weekly in 2001, but continued as a contributing editor for 20 more years. When the magazine celebrated its 150th anniversary in April of 2022, she was hailed as an editor who was “a significant force in the industry.”

In November of 2022, “06880” honored Sybil as an Unsung Hero. Here is that story;

Hard to believe, but “06880” has never hailed Sybil Steinberg as an Unsung Hero.

The contributing editor and — for many years — book review section editor for Publishers Weekly is a well known and beloved Westport Library treasure.

Her curated recommended reading recommendations — called simply “Sybil’s List” — have entertained, inspired and kept local readers busy for years. A number of Westporters will not read a book unless it’s been vetted by Sybil.

During COVID, she took her talks to Zoom. Suddenly her grateful audience expanded far beyond her hometown.

Now she’s back live, at the Trefz Forum. Happily, the Library films her talks.

A gifted interviewer for Publishers Weekly, Sybil does the same when writers visit the Westport Library.

Sybil and her late husband, the equally well respected Dr. Steinberg, moved here in 1960. (The last name is familiar for another reason: Their son Jonathan has served as Westport’s representative for 7 terms.)

Now well into her 80s, Sybil Steinberg shows no sign of slowing down. She’s got many more books to read, and recommend, in her role as the town’s literary guru.

And — stopping only briefly for kudos — as our “06880” Unsung Hero of the Week.

Sybil Steinberg

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In 1995, Publisher’s Weekly flew Sybil to London, to interview Salman Rushdie.

The author was in hiding; the Ayatollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa calling for his execution. In August 2022 — a week after Rushdie was stabbed during a talk in upstate New York — Sybil described that interview with him, for “06880.”

At the time I was editor of the book review section, for which PW is renowned. Pantheon was about to publish his first collection of stories, titled “East, West.” They wanted to assure the US publishing industry that Rushdie was still writing, and at the top of his form.

Security was tight. A cab with shades drawn picked me up at my hotel, and drove me to the Random House offices in London.

I entered through a side door. Two security people examined me, and my tape recorder and notebook. I had to assure them that I hadn’t told anyone abut my mission.

Salman Rushdie/© Beowulf Sheehan http://www.beowulfsheehan.com

They led me to a private office, and locked me in. About 10 minutes later, there was a clatter in the hallway. Rushdie arrived, accompanied by his own security team.

Rushdie’s serious expression had led many to misread his personality. He proved to be a delightful interviewee: genial, forthcoming, and a great raconteur.

Because Rushdie was of great interest to the publishing industry, PW gave me 3 pages for the interview — a privilege never granted before or since.

The headline read: “Six years into the fatwa, the resourceful writer discusses his new book and his determination ‘not to be beaten.’”

Here’s an excerpt: “While he doesn’t deny that the death sentence cast a cloak of terror over his existence, Rushdie is eager to plead the this audience not read his life into his work.”

There’s a bitter irony that Salman Rushdie was attacked as he was about to address the audience at Chautauqua about America’s role as a safe haven for authors.

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Unsung Hero #264

Posted on November 30, 2022 | 2 comments

Hard to believe, but “06880” has never hailed Sybil Steinberg as an Unsung Hero.

The contributing editor and — for many years — book review section editor for Publishers Weekly is a well known and beloved Westport Library treasure.

Her curated recommended reading recommendations — called simply “Sybil’s List” — have entertained, inspired and kept local readers busy for years. A number of Westporters will not read a book unless it’s been vetted by Sybil.

During COVID, she took her talks to Zoom. Suddenly her grateful audience expanded far beyond her hometown.

Now she’s back live, at the Trefz Forum. Happily, the Library films her talks.

A gifted interviewer for Publishers Weekly, Sybil does the same when writers visit the Westport Library.

Sybil and her late husband, the equally well respected Dr. Steinberg, moved here in 1960. (The last name is familiar for another reason: Their son Jonathan has served as Westport’s representative for 7 terms.)

Now well into her 80s, Sybil Steinberg shows no sign of slowing down. She’s got many more books to read, and recommend, in her role as the town’s literary guru.

And — stopping only briefly for kudos — as our “06880” Unsung Hero of the Week. (Hat tip: Mary Condon)

Sybil Steinberg

(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com)

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

 

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Sybil Steinberg’s Salman Rushdie Story

Posted on August 15, 2022 | 2 comments

Sybil Steinberg spent many years as a senior editor at Publishers Weekly. In 1995, the prestigious trade magazine for the book industry flew the longtime Westporter to London.

Salman Rushdie was in hiding; the Ayatollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa calling for his execution. Last week, the author was stabbed repeatedly, during a talk in upstate New York.

Steinberg recalls her interview with Rushdie, 27 years ago:

At the time I was editor of the book review section, for which PW is renowned. Pantheon was about to publish his first collection of stories, titled “East, West.” They wanted to assure the US publishing industry that Rushdie was still writing, and at the top of his form.

Sybil Steinberg

Security was tight. A cab with shades drawn picked me up at my hotel, and drove me to the Random House offices in London.

I entered through a side door. Two security people examined me, and my tape recorder and notebook. I had to assure them that I hadn’t told anyone abut my mission.

They led me to a private office, and locked me in. About 10 minutes later, there was a clatter in the hallway. Rushdie arrived, accompanied by his own security team.

Rushdie’s serious expression had led many to misread his personality. He proved to be a delightful interviewee: genial, forthcoming, and a great raconteur.

Because Rushdie was of great interest to the publishing industry, PW gave me 3 pages for the interview — a privilege never granted before or since.

Salman Rushdie/© Beowulf Sheehan http://www.beowulfsheehan.com

The headline read: “Six years into the fatwa, the resourceful writer discusses his new book and his determination ‘not to be beaten.'”

Here’s an excerpt: “While he doesn’t deny that the death sentence cast a cloak of terror over his existence, Rushdie is eager to plead the this audience not read his life into his work.”

There’s a bitter irony that Salman Rushdie was attacked as he was about to address the audience at Chautauqua about America’s role as a safe haven for authors.

Sybil Steinberg retired from Publishers Weekly in 2001, but continued as a contributing editor until last year. When PW celebrated its 150th anniversary this past April, she was honored as an editor who was “a significant force in the industry.” She continues to offer regular recommended reading lists, through the Westport Library.

(“06880” is a reader-supported non-profit. Please click here to help.)

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