''Blue Highways'' is an autobiographical travel book, published in 1982, by

William Least Heat-Moon William Least Heat-Moon (born William Lewis Trogdon August 27, 1939) is an American travel writer and historian of English, Irish, and Osage ancestry. He is the author of several books which chronicle unusual journeys through the United States ...

, born William Trogdon.

Summary

In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Heat-Moon, 38 at the time, took an extended road trip in a circular route around the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, sticking to only the "Blue Highways". He had coined the term to refer to small, forgotten, out-of-the-way roads connecting rural America (which were drawn in blue on the old style

Rand McNally Rand McNally is an American technology and publishing company that provides mapping, software and hardware for consumer electronics, commercial transportation and education markets. The company is headquartered in Chicago, with a distribution ...

road atlas). He outfitted his van with a bunk, a camping stove, a portable toilet and a copy of

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among ...

's ''

Leaves of Grass ''Leaves of Grass'' is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. Though it was first published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting ''Leaves of Grass'', revising it multiple times until his death. T ...

'' and John Neihardt's ''

Black Elk Speaks ''Black Elk Speaks'' is a 1932 book by John G. Neihardt, an American poet and writer, who relates the story of Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota medicine man. Black Elk spoke in Lakota and Black Elk's son, Ben Black Elk, who was present during the ta ...

''. Referring to the Native American resurrection ritual, he named the van " Ghost Dancing", and embarked on a three-month soul-searching tour of the United States, wandering from small town to small town, stopping often at towns with interesting names. The book chronicles the 13,000-mile journey and the people he meets along the way, as he steers clear of cities and interstates, avoiding fast food and exploring local American culture. Stories that arose from Least Heat-Moon's research as well as historical facts are included about each area visited, as well as conversations with characters such as a

Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

evangelist hitchhiker, a teenage runaway, a boat builder, a monk, an Appalachian log cabin restorer, a rural

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

prostitute, fishermen, a Hopi Native American medical student, owners of

Western saloon A Western saloon is a kind of bar particular to the Old West. Saloons served customers such as fur trappers, cowboys, soldiers, lumberjacks, businessmen, lawmen, outlaws, miners, and gamblers. A saloon might also be known as a "watering tr ...

s and remote country stores, a

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

syrup farmer, and

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

island dwellers.

Reception

''Blue Highways'' was on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list for 42 weeks in 1982–83.

Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the liter ...

called the book "a masterpiece," writing that " east Heat-Moonmakes America seem new, in a very special way, and its people new."

Cultural impact

* ''Blue Highways Revisited:'' Written and photographed by Edgar I. Ailor III, and Edgar I. Ailor IV, ''Blue Highways Revisited'' is a 30-year follow-up to Heat-Moon's original book. The Ailors re-travel the routes of Heat-Moon and seek out the sites he visited, as well as the people he interacted with along the way. * Robert W. Cole Jr. and Midwestern Schools: Influenced by Heat-Moon's ''Blue Highways'', Cole, a then-editor of the ''Phi Delta Kappan'' magazine, decided to take leave in order to study rural and small-town schools in the American Mid-West. * ''Blue Highways'' and ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'': Listed as number nine of fifteen travel books that "will change the way you see the world." * ''Four Calendar Cafe: Blue Highways'' inspired the name of the Cocteau Twins' 1993 album, '' Four-Calendar Café.''Guthrie, Robin
Chapter 16 - 1993/1994
Cocteau Twins History

References

External links

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Littourati
American travel books Books by writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas {{US-bio-book-stub