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Rosie Paul Press

The Author

Carl Harris Shuman is a middle-aged, overweight, graying husband and father, attorney, and ex-synagogue president with bad allergies who would have been a great Broadway star if he had learned to read music and dance -- and had not had so much difficulty memorizing lines in high school.  

 

 
 

 

He is not a trained artist and has never published anything, except for one short story in Central PA Magazine and some poetry in his high school literary magazine.

 

He wrote Saskia, Age 8, Goes to College when he realized that he only has about twenty good years left.  He is also working on a second book, Sammy’s Shoe, which he will publish only if you and about 1,000 more people purchase Saskia, Age 8, Goes to College.  

 

Carl and his wife, Beth, are the parents of Saskia and her husband Ben, Sam, and Simona.  All of his children live in New York, except for Simona who is 13 and who is stuck living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with her rapidly aging parents.
But for the year of living in Holland with his family (1964-1965), Carl spent the first twelve years of his life in Atlantic City, New Jersey - which tells you everything 
you need to know about him.

Carl, Age 4

Rose Paul was Carl’s cherished aunt. She was his mother Reba’s older sister and lived in Philadelphia with her parents. Because the Pauls had little money and because most East European Jewish immigrants did not believe it was necessary to educate their daughters beyond high school, Aunt Rose never had the opportunity to attend college. Aunt Rose was a very bright woman, however, and read voraciously, had season tickets to the Philadelphia Opera for over 50 years, and had a top secret clearance from the government to work as an executive secretary at the Warminster Naval Air Development Center.

 

                                
        

Rosie Paul Press

Aunt Rose never married and never had children. She did, however, have many nieces and nephews upon whom she lavished great attention and affection. When Carl was very little he and his sister, Heidi, would play Ring Around the Rosie with Aunt Rose at water’s edge. Aunt Rose never complained and the children never tired of creating their circles in the sand. For the longest time Carl thought the nursery rhyme was about his beloved aunt. He looks forward to the day when he can play Ring Around the Rosie with his own grandchildren.    
 
        
 
 
 
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