Customer Reviews

My Staggerford Journal

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"What is any artist but the dregs of his work?" the author William Gaddis said, and one wishes Jon Hassler had remembered that before publishing "My Staggerford Journal," the tearings from his diary he kept in 1975 when he took a sabbatical from his English professorship to write his first novel. While the book is only 100 pages long, there is very little that is of interest to anyone but fans of his work.

Those interested in the artistic process will find little here of interest. Hassler recounts the decisions underlying the writing of "Staggerford" in the fashion of a carpenter building a chair ("Coach Gibbon will talk about sports. Stella about the press box and her dentist. Imogene? Knowledge.").

The best parts of the book are things that have nothing to do with writing. He visits Emily Dickenson's home in New England, and spends three weeks in Great Britain and Ireland. He recounts a vacuous committee meeting at the community college where he taught. After a week writing alone, he goes out into the Minnesota snow seeking any kind of social connection. When he book is accepted by Atheneum, he worries that he doesn't know how to pronounce the name. But overall, the best part of Hassler is found in his novels.

I had the extreme privilege to be taking a class from Jon while he was in the process of getting Staggerford published. He shared the galleys with us and talked about the process of publication. So needless to say, I loved this book. I loved the peek into what he was doing while writing it. Jon was a complex man with a kind and gentle heart... and this other side that one did not get to see, but was obviously there and came through in his books. I'm definitely biased and I loved the book.

I had never heard of STAGGERFORD nor of Jon Hassler till I bought this book today and devoured it in one sitting. Now I'm looking forward to reading the nove, STAGGERFORD. If you can believe the jacket copy and the back of the jacket, STAGGERFORD is one of those beloved masterpieces like CATCHER IN THE RYE that high school students everywhere are assigned to read, and even though they grumble, they eventually fall in love with the book and take it to heart. Even Hillary Clinton, says Mr. Hassler, has read STAGGERFORD. I feel so dumb not having known about it. Maybe I should have read the book before reading Mr. Hassler's 1975 journal describing the year he took off from an oppressive community college somewhere in Minnesota.

He took time off to visit historic sites in New England, including the House of the Seven Gables and Walden Pond. He makes an embarrassing faux pas inthe home of Emily Dickinson, in her bedroom, where like any other tourist he whips out his canera and the guide reminds him in a miserable shriek, "Cameras are not permitted in Emily Dickinson's bedroom." You can really feel his abjection as sadly he pockets his camera. He's lucky they didn't destroy it I guess. I had no idea that this house in Amherst is a private home and that you can see only two rooms, this bedroom and a sitting room. Who would want to live there, it would be weird.

Once STAGGERFORD gets published, by Atheneum, you get the feeling that finally Hassler gets some self-respect, indeed some balls. He quotes Thoreau to beautiful effect; "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in the common hours."

I didn't like the part where he encounters a colleague who praises him and tells him his own favorite line from STAGGERFORD, which is, "If you wish to befriend an Indian, feed him pie." I don't know, it just sounds a little racist. Outside of that, the book is well worth every penny.

'Loved reading this book; 100-pages that are worthy of gifting to others who love to read and write. With great clarity, Hassler expresses his joy as well as his struggle in capturing thoughts for the reader's enjoyment. And he sprinkles the copy with his down home, chuckle-invoking humor. His Staggerford Journal is as enjoyable as Staggerford itself. Thank you for yet another gift, Jon Hassler!