The Dream of the White Village: A Novel in Stories

by Philip Baruth

Book by Baruth, Philip E.

333 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1998

About the author

Philip Baruth is a novelist, and has spent twelve years as a regular commentator for Vermont Public Radio. His commentary series, “Notes from the New Vermont,” focused on both the national and the local, the deeply political and the undeniably absurd.

In addition to Vermont Associated Press awards for commentary on Howard Dean and the effects of 9/11, Philip won a national Public Radio News Directors Award for “Lonesome Jim Does Totally Gnarly,” a spoof of Jeffords’s split with the GOP. “Birth Rate Blues,” his satirical take on Vermont’s low fertility stats, shared a 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award in the Overall Excellence category, then won a Public Radio News Directors Award several months later.

His 2003 novel The X President took this penchant for satire to new lengths: the book follows the desperate attempts of a 109-year-old Bill Clinton to re-write his historical legacy. The New York Times selected The X President as a Notable Book of 2003.

Philip lives in Burlington, Vermont, and has taught at the University of Vermont since 1993. Before that time, he earned a B.A. at Brown University, and his Ph.D at the University of California, Irvine. His latest novel, The Brothers Boswell (Soho Press), is a literary thriller, tracing the famous friendship between James Boswell and Samuel Johnson, author of the first modern dictionary. The Washington Post eventually selected Brothers Boswell as one of the Best Books of 2009.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Perhaps because it takes place in my hometown and I remember places and things that happened in the book. It does have a great story line, strong characters, well written.
The intrigue with the politics is something that was happening back then, I was not in on it but was very aware that there were people who could make things happen.
I love the clever way that the series of fires ( we all called urban renewal) were dealt with in the story. People one would not think to be arsonists suddenly makes one pause and wonder could someone in that position really do it.
The only thing that I did not like was what happened with the character Smooth.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually like short stories, but this really is more of a novel...the stories flow together seamlessly to tell the larger story. This is a story of the dark underside of life in a small place. Although it is fiction, Baruth gets at an uncomfortable truth underlying Burlington specifically--that no matter how open and tolerant we think we are, our prejudices and fears will squeeze out. But rather than leave us with a sense of shame for our actions, Baruth shows that good that can also come out of this small place. A beautiful and disturbing story.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was a UVM professor when we read this book, he actually came to our book club meeting. Philip Baruth is now a Vermont state legislator.