“Write what should not be forgotten.”
Isabel Allende
ABOUT LINDA
Linda Schifino lives and writes in her hometown of Pittsburgh. As the keeper of family memories, her work is often rooted in themes of family and place. When not writing, Linda enjoys reading, spending time with her granddaughter, and walking with her dog, Rosie. Linda’s memoir, Neighborhood Girl, published by Sunbury Press, Fall, 2023.
Poignant and open-hearted, Neighborhood Girl is an absorbing story that explores timeless human themes of family, place, and loss. The narrative begins in an Italian American enclave of Pittsburgh in the 1950s, a loving and close-knit community. Now, Schifino’s beloved neighborhood is gone, and family members and neighbors are long dead. The author invites the reader along as she sifts through fragile memories like an archeologist in an effort to preserve a family legacy. An affable and sincere narrator, Schifino’s memoir is at once heartbreaking, humorous, and engaging.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Gerry LaFemina, author of The Pursuit: A Meditation on Happiness
There’s so much to admire about Linda Schifino’s debut memoir.
Linda Schifino’s memoir is an absolute delight—warm, richly evoked,
Jane Bernstein, award-winning author of The Face Tells the Secret, Bereft—a Sister’s Story, and other books.
beautifully written. … What a great read!
Jane McCafferty, author of First You Try Everything
It’s no easy feat to write a book about a basically happy childhood—and
Schifino pulls it off beautifully– guided by the spirits of forgiveness, respect,
and deep, abiding love.
Neighborhood Girl, a brilliant tutorial on how to write about place,
Joseph Bathanti, North Carolina Poet Laureate (2012-14) and author of East Liberty
is an illuminating, lovely, wholly wonderful memoir.
Jan Beatty, author of American Bastard, Red Hen Press
[A] beautifully written, heartwarming story that inspires devotion—to memory, ancestry, the ways we carry on.
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RECENT POSTS
A Fall Pause
I’ve worked on my second memoir for almost three years now. Not constantly, as there was a several month pause to pay homage to the damn cancer, but for the most part. Multiple hours of research into family genealogy, days of writing, revising, editing, then revising again, even a journey to a small village in…
Book Clubs
A friend from my Latin Cardio dance class invited me to do a reading and discussion of Neighborhood Girl with her book club. The meeting was held at a local library, and the event was open to the public. About twenty-five people attended, and we had a lively discussion about my book as well as…
Fall’s Lament
This past week, I picked the last of my tomatoes and peppers. The last zucchini was a few weeks ago. Soon I’ll be tearing down the plants and covering the planting beds for winter. Each year, this gardening ritual serves as a reminder of how short the seasons seem, how quickly they pass. I don’t…
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Linda Schifino 