Boyle, Susan Silsby 1955-

views updated

BOYLE, Susan Silsby 1955-

PERSONAL: Born March 9, 1955, in Brussels, Belgium; daughter of Oliver (an American foreign service officer) and Margaret (a professor of history; maiden name, Lynch) Silsby; married Neil E. Boyle (with U.S. Department of State), June 16, 1990; children: two daughters. Education: Georgetown University, B.F.A., 1976, M.A., 1980, Ph.D., 1986; attended Institute Bourguiba des Langues Vivantes (Tunis, Tunisia), 1979, and Institute of Historical Research (London, England), 1984–85. Religion: Catholic Hobbies and other interests: Horseback riding, love of art (especially painting), music, film, travel.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Perseus Books/ Westview Press, 5500 Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301. E-mail—nboyle@eastern.com.ph.

CAREER: AMIDEAST, Washington, DC, program officer in Washington, DC, and Jerusalem, Israel, 1980–81; U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, consultant on international visitor programs, and languages services, 1984–89; Institute of International Education, Washington, DC, program officer and proposal writer, 1989–90. Consultant to World Bank, U.S. government, and others, 1990–. Lecturer at University of Maryland, 1989, George Mason University, 1990, and Council on Public Relations, 2001.

MEMBER: Middle East Studies Association, Asia Society, Museum Volunteer Program, U.S. Embassy Club, American Women's Club of the Philippines.

AWARDS, HONORS: Fulbright fellow in England, 1984–85.

WRITINGS:

Betrayal of Palestine: The Story of George Antonius, Perseus Books (Boulder, CO), 2001.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Manuscript on two historians of Mindanao; family biography of D.C. patriarch Jo Howar; research on Cesar Majul, a "Muslim convert and moral anchor for Muslims during martial law."

SIDELIGHTS: Susan Silsby Boyle told CA: "I used to paint but found I needed words—I needed to write—to explore my love of the creative process via issues of development and the formation of intellectual giants. A host of writers in a variety of fields have been my guides. I especially admire the likes of Robert Coles and Flannery O'Connor. I write in the morning for several hours, then edit, read, and insert changes.

"I am most surprised by the moments of serendipity during the course of research and writing. As a writer, I have much to learn. I feel blessed to be a part of this world of creative, meaningful work. As an historian and biographer, I want to contribute a deeper dimension of life and its complexity to a world of readers, to lace this human journey with a level of 'remembrance', and, a bit like a doctor, counter some of this world's crippling violence, fear, ignorance, and hatred."