President Roth Reviews “Twin” by Allen Shawn

David PesciFebruary 7, 20111min
A candid memoir of phobias, autism and separated twins hits all the right notes

Writing for The Washington Post, Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth reviewed the new memoir Twin by Allen Shawn, who is the son of former New Yorker editor Wallace Shawn.  The book, which chronicles Shawn’s relationship and perceptions of his twin sister Mary, as well as Shawn’s own struggle with panic attacks and Mary’s autism. Roth says “Shawn writes beautifully, with an elegance, candor and tact that are remarkable. He is personal without ever being gossipy…’Twin’ is an extraordinary book – quiet, patient, moving. While acknowledging our separation from one another, Allen Shawn has made a brotherly gift that recalls the possibilities of connection through memory and love that just might be shared.”