In a luminous memoir of a life richly lived, one of Americaâs finest writers explores the themes that have shaped his life and work: the glories of the natural world, the lure of working for a circus and fighting forest fires, the afflictions of temporary blindness and blocked speech, and the enduring influence of literary friendships, including John Berrymanâs, Edward Abbeyâs, and his mentor, Archibald MacLeish.
From his childhood in rural Connecticut to some of the earthâs last remaining wildernesses, Hoagland has traveled the world wielding his unusual gift for observation. In Compass Points he delivers an honest and lively accounting of his voyages through two marriages; the New York parties he attended as a precocious young writer; Vermont hippiedom and academia; his many vivid sojourns into Europe, Alaska, British Columbia, the Sudan; and, perhaps most unforgettably, his stint in the âAnimal Departmentâ of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus fifty years ago. Leavened with Hoaglandâs trademark humor and insight, Compass Points is an entertaining and moving account of the days and nights of one of our most eminent literary voices.
In a luminous memoir of a life richly lived, one of Americaâs finest writers explores the themes that have shaped his life and work: the glories of the natural world, the lure of working for a circus and fighting forest fires, the afflictions of temporary blindness and blocked speech, and the enduring influence of literary friendships, including John Berrymanâs, Edward Abbeyâs, and his mentor, Archibald MacLeish.
From his childhood in rural Connecticut to some of the earthâs last remaining wildernesses, Hoagland has traveled the world wielding his unusual gift for observation. In Compass Points he delivers an honest and lively accounting of his voyages through two marriages; the New York parties he attended as a precocious young writer; Vermont hippiedom and academia; his many vivid sojourns into Europe, Alaska, British Columbia, the Sudan; and, perhaps most unforgettably, his stint in the âAnimal Departmentâ of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus fifty years ago. Leavened with Hoaglandâs trademark humor and insight, Compass Points is an entertaining and moving account of the days and nights of one of our most eminent literary voices.