Blue Highways, by William Least Heat-Moon
William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways takes us on an unforgettable journey through the backroads of 1970s America. In 1978, newly jobless and separated from his wife, Heat-Moon converted a van into a cozy home-on-wheels he called "Ghost Dancing." With nothing but time and two cherished books - Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass and John Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks - he set out to explore the forgotten corners of the country.
Heat-Moon's route stuck to the "blue highways" - those thin blue lines on old maps that wind through small towns and rural landscapes. Along the way, he encountered a cast of characters that could only exist in the tapestry of late 1970s America.
There's the wide-eyed teenage runaway with big dreams and an uncertain future. Weathered fishermen and farmers shared stories passed down through generations. In Nevada, a matter-of-fact prostitute offered a glimpse into a very different kind of life. Bartenders and diner waitresses became Heat-Moon's windows into the soul of each new town.
One of the most memorable encounters was with a Native American medical student, straddling two worlds and two very different visions of the future. Each conversation peeled back another layer of American life, revealing hopes, struggles, and simple joys that feel both timeless and firmly rooted in that specific moment in history.
Blue Highways isn't just a travelogue – it's a journey into the heart of America itself. Heat-Moon's sharp observations and knack for getting people to open up turn this road trip into something much deeper. It's no wonder many consider it a masterpiece of travel writing.
“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do - especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.”
Interesting Facts & Links:
William Least Heat-Moon is an American travel writer and historian of English, Irish, and Osage ancestry. He is renowned for his deep explorations of America's back roads and small towns, often focusing on the cultural geography and hidden stories of rural and overlooked places in the United States. Heat-Moon's journey was partly inspired by his Osage ancestry. He saw his trip as a way to reconnect with the land and explore his Native American heritage.
See Moon's trip with an interesting virtual map from Littourati.
Blue Highways is named after the old blue colored lines on the smaller roads in the Rand McNally atlas. The design is different today.
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