Scan barcode
A review by h2oetry
Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes by Ted Conover
5.0
Ted Conover decided that he'd take his curiosity re: hobo and tramp culture into his own hands by riding the rails and living with them for a year. His journey fulfilled some expectations of his, and set his worldview into a fizzy at points, whether it involved fights, true communal spirit, run-ins with the police, catching up with friends at Evergreen in Olympia (and finally feeling welcome in a real world setting while there, or being dangerously close to friends and family while being the Other. It's one of those well-to-do-intelligent-idiot-decides-to-lay-bare-his-soul-in-search-for-something-different stories.
Well-written and enjoyable throughout, I found myself craving the story and its inevitable "yeah, I would like to do that but know I would never have the courage to actually do it" moments. If you've never read Conover, this is a good start -- he has some great books -- and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Well-written and enjoyable throughout, I found myself craving the story and its inevitable "yeah, I would like to do that but know I would never have the courage to actually do it" moments. If you've never read Conover, this is a good start -- he has some great books -- and I can't recommend it highly enough.