In a luminous memoir of a life richly lived, one of America's 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 Berryman's, Edward Abbey's, and his mentor, Archibald MacLeish. <br><br>From his childhood in rural Connecticut to some of the earth's last remaining wildernesses, Hoagland has traveled the world wielding his unusual gift for observation. In<b> Compass Points</b> 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 “Animal Department” of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus fifty years ago. Leavened with Hoagland's trademark humor and insight, <b>Compass Points</b> is an entertaining and moving account of the days and nights of one of our most eminent literary voices.