For several years,
NBA-winning novelist and respected journalist William T. Vollmann has engaged
in recreational hobo-ing, a hobby that may sound self-consciously quirky, but
which has a much deeper meaning to the author. In his book Riding Toward
Everywhere,
Vollmann describes what it takes—and what it's like—to dodge the
railroad bulls and "catch out," rolling through the American countryside and
getting off wherever a train stops. For Vollmann, hopping trains is the
opposite of standing in lines, staying on the legal side of fences, and getting
wanded by security guards. It's about reclaiming the idea of wilderness and
freedom of movement in a country where nearly every remaining open space has
been parceled and tagged, and the naming rights sold.
The only problem with Riding
Toward Everywhere—though
it likely won't bother some readers—is that Vollmann takes the same
approach to his writing that he takes to his life. At no point in the book does
Vollmann lay out his hobo history in a clean timeline, or document his travels
with an eye toward orienting readers between Point A and Point B. Instead, he
describes the darkness under bridges as he and his partners wait for a
promising freight, and the adrenaline rush of nestling into a car undetected.
Along the way, he meets people. They have stories; he has stories. The scenery
is stunning. And when the train slows down in a not-too-dangerous place, he
hops off, with a newfound appreciation for the comforts of the domestic life.
(At least until he gets the itch again.)
It's worth following
Vollmann's more rambling passages to pick up the particulars of hobo culture,
from the meaning of the graffiti in hobo jungles to the process of earning
trust. But Vollmann doesn't blindly glamorize a lifestyle that he only plays
at. He also describes the terrifying aimlessness that takes hold of some riders,
and the constant threats from violent, racist gangs who use living off the grid
as an excuse to act like savages. Embracing the wild America has never been a
safe way to pass the time. But for Vollmann, the other option is to live "like
a citizen," and that isn't acceptable either.