Where the World Was
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Goose Lane Editions
Published:19th Sep '23
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
“As a poet and writer, [Rosemary Sullivan] knows that life is lived not as theory but as practice, that . . . you can understand nothing about a place without listening to individual people and their stories.” — Margaret Atwood
Incomparable writer, activist, and world traveller Rosemary Sullivan has at long last written a book about herself, about her life quest to “meet the world, to celebrate its richness, to face its darkness.”
And what a fascinating book it is! Comprised of 21 essays spanning 5 decades and multiple continents, Where the World Was offers a vivid portrait of a writer who is instinctively drawn to other cultures and places.
Whether writing about a solo vacation inside the Iron Curtain, meeting the reclusive writer Elizabeth Smart in a dilapidated cottage in the English countryside, reflecting on how Chilean society responded to Pinochet’s coup, or tracking down the people who knew Svetlana Alliluyeva for Stalin’s Daughter, Sullivan delivers a master class in cultural studies, human rights advocacy, and empathy for the human condition.
“In Where the World Was, Rosemary Sullivan investigates our planet with compelling aesthetic, biographical, and political engagement. Her reader cannot help but be both captivated and enthused. A truly engrossing travel experience.” -- Jane Urquhart, author of A Number of Things
“Sullivan’s Where the World Was is a compelling and enlightening memoir that skillfully navigates the intersections of lives and stories. Her remarkable storytelling ability, coupled with her keen observations and insatiable curiosity, paints a vivid portrait of a truly fascinating individual. Whether the reader is an avid reader, an aspiring writer, or simply a seeker of captivating tales, this book is sure to leave a lasting mark.” -- Sydney Walsh * Atlantic Books Today *
“Readers may notice connections between this empathetic reporting and Sullivan’s more recent works, including Villa Air-Bel: World War II, Escape, and a House in Marseille. All along, a genuine conscientiousness has been evolving through her research and travel.” -- Trevor Carolan * Literary Review of Canada *
“Combining elements of both a travel book and a personal memoir, Sullivan’s Where the World Was is a well-written and engaging account of a writer’s exploration of wide-ranging locations around the world and encounters with some of the people who have been important in her life.” -- Susan Huebert * Winnipeg Free Press *
ISBN: 9781773102818
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 16mm
Weight: unknown
304 pages