Steve Silberman, a journalist who championed autism rights and wrote for the Grateful Dead, died Wednesday night. He was 66.
Silberman’s husband, Keith Karraker, announced the death Thursday in a post on Bluesky. The couple lived in San Francisco.
“It’s my very sad duty to inform you all that @stevesilberman.bsky.social, my wonderful husband and best friend, passed away last night,” Keith wrote. “I’ll have more info later. For now, please take a moment to remember his kindness, humor, wisdom, and love.”
Silberman was a longtime science journalist and author of the 2015 book “NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity.” His work appeared in many publications, including Wired, The New York Times, the New Yorker, and Scientific American. His TED Talk “The Forgotten History of Autism” has been viewed nearly 2 million times on the nonprofit’s website.
Silberman was also a diehard Grateful Dead fan who wrote liner notes for the Bay Area-born band’s albums, as well as the 1994 book “Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads,” with fellow Deadhead David Shenk. Silberman went on to produce the Grateful Dead five-disc box set “So Many Roads (1965-1995)” and worked on liner notes for other box sets as recently as this year.
“My name is Steve Silberman, and I confess I lead a double life,” the author said in an interview on the “Dead Air Radio” program. Silberman described this “double life” as “interestingly weird,” saying his science writing “pays the rent,” while his Grateful Dead writing “certainly does not pay the rent but is fun and allows me to listen to a lot of music that I loved seeing when I was a kid.”
David Lemieux, the band’s official archivist and legacy manager, said in a statement posted to X that he met Silberman in 1999.
Rest in peace to astonishing author, activist, and cherished member of the Grateful Dead family, Steve Silberman.
— Grateful Dead (@GratefulDead) August 29, 2024
“When I started working for the Grateful Dead in 1999, Steve Silberman was around a lot, working on the So Many Roads boxed set throughout the summer. He was so… pic.twitter.com/BIih4EAtoQ
“He was so kind, warm, and welcoming to me every time we saw each other,” Lemieux said. “He was genuinely respectful. One of the brightest lights I’ve met over the past 25 years. His intelligence and generosity were unmatched. Steve, you will be missed by so many. Everyone who met you or corresponded with you loves you.”
Other journalists, authors, and Deadheads mourned Silberman on social media, remembering him as a mentor, a great journalist, and a “true mensch.”
Devastated to hear the news about Steve. He & I spoke over the phone just the other day. He was an early supporter of the book & a true elder Deadhead, whose work my own draws on. Meeting him last year was a huge honor. He even gave me some of the late David Crosby’s weed. RIP. https://t.co/K37zLNTDDO
— Brian A. Anderson (@thebanderson) August 29, 2024
Steve Silberman was a writer for whom autistic people were never just a subject. We were his peers and his friends. Many autistic writers-including me-owe a great deal to his support. He will be missed so much.
— Sarah Kurchak (@fodderfigure) August 29, 2024
RIP Steve Silberman. A great journalist and the epitome of the kind and welcoming side of the Deadhead community. I'll always appreciate the professional generosity he showed toward me over the years. A true mensch. Fare thee well. pic.twitter.com/igm989Qvob
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) August 29, 2024
Silberman’s book “The Taste of Salt,” a history of cystic fibrosis, is due to come out in 2025, according to his X profile.
In a Facebook post last August, Silberman left a message befitting this moment.
“When I die, please don’t say that I’ve crossed over into the spirit realm, gone to the Other Side, moved on to a better place, rejoined my ancestors, or any other of those comforting fables,” he wrote. “Just selfishly or selflessly use my own impermanence to WAKE UP to your own.”