Then Again

“Situated somewhere between poetry and prose, memoir and philosophy, the familiar and the foreign, these mesmerizing vignettes possess an uncanny power.” Devorah Baum, author of Feeling Jewish (A Book for Just About Anyone), and director of The New Man.  

“Ben Berman is a talented word sculptor, who chisels at “straightforward prose” until he finds the story beneath the story. This experiment with structure and brevity successfully blends flash nonfiction and prose sequences into a greater whole, leaving this reader feeling entirely rewarded and enchanted.” Tara Lynn Masih, Founding Series Editor of The Best Small Fictions

“Whether addressing his role as Peace Corps volunteer, student, teacher, writer, or father, Ben Berman finds insights that afford him a deeper sense of wholeness, of personhood, of being real. These inventive triadic entries, each grounded in a single word, are just that, entries, and we readers are welcome to open door after door in this brilliant, moving, funny, thoughtful, playful house of words.” Richard Hoffman author Noon at Night

“A master of linking narratives, Ben Berman reveals intimate moments in deft, yet slight, movements. From the opening scene­—a man in Kathmandu, a mangy dog giving chase—to the last gentle goodnight—a father and his daughters, a lullaby—this collection captivates and uplifts. The smallest of breaths are noted and appreciated, even those at the end of a life. Whether contemplating negative spaces or exploring a child’s imaginings, these stories examine the bounty of language, its meanings and ambiguities. In one story a dad talks to his three-year-old: ‘I try to explain that it’s the gaps that give shape to the whole.’ This could well be the mantra of the collection. These small offerings blur the lines of meanings and burrow down to the essence of things—even if the essence is in the absence of things. Berman’s stories illuminate through shards and pieces, questions and revelations.” Michelle Elvy, Editor, Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction and Assistant Editor, Best Small Fictions

“In this sharply-observed, vulnerable, and witty series of triptychs—which span an ocean and the seasons of a life—Ben Berman slyly explores fragmentation and disconnection as the core of who we are. In fact, the many pleasures of this book lie not in one unifying idea, but in its re-considerations, its insightful flashes of insight into manhood, fatherhood, and the crossing of cultures.” Christopher Castellani, author of Leading Men