Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Road Classics

Thesis: the three great American "Road" books are Lolita; On the Road; and one you may not know, Roger Tory Peterson's Wild America.

Nabokov and Peterson came out in 1955, like my favorite Chevy, my parent's second car and the first they bought new that I can remember; as far as I know, Kerouac finished in '51 but did not publish til '57.

I have a good story about Roger and a first edition of Wild America; never encountered Kerouac or Nabokov. More to come, including at least another post with more visuals...

Condors, WILD ones-- see below...


Famous first page...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw Wild America last winter for the first time. I was sorry not to have seen it as a kid. I really like the illustrations.

WH

Allen Jones said...

Huck Finn!

Steve Bodio said...

No argument Allen-- once I get around the idea of the Mississippi as a road. I guess I was thinking of a time I still see as contemporary, & defined perhaps by Kerouac's phrase.

Cormac McCarthy as post- apocalyptic successor?

Anonymous said...

McPhee's geology books shaped how I saw the world for many years during college and grad school. I liked Dan O'Brien's Rites of Autumn later...

Paul

Steve Bodio said...

Hmmm-- never thought about but McPhee's geologies ARE "Road Books" and good ones.

For some reason I prefer O'Brian's Equinox, a portrait of a season and the poignancy of passing time, rather than the ramble of Rites.

Which reminds me: give me a call re getting Chicken's furniture fall- ready?

Gil said...

Let's not forget the uplifting, cheery The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Steve Bodio said...

Cormac is in-- see above...

Anonymous said...

Blue Highways
William Least Heat Moon