Woodrow Landfair
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Woodrow Landfair (born ''Stanley Wood Landfair II'' on November 9, 1982, also called "Pack") is an
American novelist This is a list of novelists from the United States, listed with titles of a major work for each. This is not intended to be a list of every American (born U.S. citizen, naturalized citizen, or long-time resident alien) who has published a novel. ...
, and NCAA Champion
athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...
, known for pawning his 2005
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
ring, changing his name, and leaving on a used motorcycle to live as an itinerant laborer on what became a forty-eight state odyssey. The motorcycle trip is the subject of the novel ''Land Of The Free'' (2014).


Background

Landfair grew up with his mother and two sisters in
Springfield, Virginia Springfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs includ ...
, and with his father in
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
- at first near
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, then in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. He enrolled at the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
in 2001, on full academic scholarship from the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
with the ambition to become a
SEAL Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
. Dared by fellow Midshipmen to show up at the baseball team's October 2002 walk-on tryout, Landfair earned a spot on the roster. A member of the 2005
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the eight-team Men's College World Series at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebr ...
team, he won varsity letters in each of his three seasons, and was voted Teammate of the Year by his fellow players for both the 2004 and 2005 campaigns. Between 2003 and 2005, he trained with future
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
players
Huston Street Huston Lowell Street ( ; born August 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels. After ...
, JP Howell,
Drew Stubbs Robert Andrew Stubbs (born October 4, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Baltimor ...
,
Omar Quintanilla Omar Quintanilla (born October 24, 1981) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Rockies (2005–2009), Texas Rangers (2011), New York Mets (2012, 2013-2014) and Baltimore Orioles (2 ...
,
Brad Halsey Bradford Alexander Halsey (February 14, 1981 – October 31, 2014) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees in 2004, for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005, and for the Oakland Athl ...
,
Curtis Thigpen Curtis Barnard Thigpen (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Toronto Blue Jays. Amateur career Thigpen spent his college career at the Un ...
,
Michael Hollimon Michael T. Hollimon (born June 14, 1982) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman and shortstop. After a collegiate baseball career at the University of Texas and Oral Roberts University, Hollimon entered professional baseball with ...
,
Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American professional baseball coach and former left fielder who is the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 2004 to 2018 for the Col ...
,
Alex Hinshaw Alexander "Alex" Omar Hinshaw (born October 31, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He graduated from Claremont High School and attended Chaffey College and San Diego State University. He played in Major League Baseball fo ...
, Chris Davis,
Taylor Teagarden Taylor Hill Teagarden (born December 21, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers from 2008 to 2011, the Baltimore Orioles in 2012 and 2013, the New York Mets ...
and
Sam LeCure Samuel Rohrer LeCure (born May 4, 1984) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He attended Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri and the University of Texas. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinna ...
at the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. After injuring his lower back running marathons, he tore two discs in his spine over the course of the 2005 season. No longer a student-athlete nor on scholarship from the Navy, he studied
creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...
under
Zulfikar Ghose Zulfikar Ghose (March 13, 1935 – June 30, 2022) was a Pakistani-American novelist, poet and essayist. His works are primarily magical realism, blending fantasy and harsh realism. Biography Born in Sialkot, Punjab, which was in British India ...
. Setting out to research and write a novel, he sold everything he had—including his
National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
ring—and, with no previous riding experience, left on a recently purchased used motorcycle.


48 State Motorcycle Journey

Landfair first gained notoriety in 2006, amidst an indefinite nationwide odyssey. Pawning all he owned, he purchased a 1995
Suzuki Intruder The Suzuki Intruder is a series of cruiser motorcycles made by Suzuki from 1985 to 2005. After 2005, the Intruder lineup was replaced by the Boulevard range. In Europe, the Intruder name remains in use on certain models. The VS Intruder bike ...
800
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
he did not know how to ride, and left with "no route, no budget, no clue." At first sleeping outside, he worked as a manual laborer, eventually crossing all forty-eight contiguous states. During his time on the road, he legally changed his name to ''Woodrow'', stayed in two New York City
homeless shelters Homeless shelters are a type of homeless service agency which provide temporary residence for homeless individuals and families. Shelters exist to provide residents with safety and protection from exposure to the weather while simultaneously re ...
, worked for cash with
illegal immigrants Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwa ...
, and spent over a month living within the
Anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...
group
Common Ground Collective The Common Ground Collective is a decentralized network of non-profit organizations offering support to the residents of New Orleans. It was formed in the fall of 2005 in the Algiers neighborhood of the city in the days after Hurricane Katrina r ...
in New Orleans's
Lower Ninth Ward The Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the name implies, it is part of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Industr ...
after
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. Among other odd jobs, he worked as a
day laborer Day labor (or day labour in Commonwealth spelling) is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future. It is a form of contingent work. Types Day laborers (also ...
, a swimming pool
lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...
, a bouncer, a truck driver, a door-to-door salesman, a beverage delivery man, a stagehand, and a waiter for an Italian restaurant with ownership ties to the
Gambino crime family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Ame ...
. Landfair used the jobs as material for oral stories. Between traveling and working, he began self-promoting in roadside bars and coffee shops where he talked about his hoboing experiences. He developed a storytelling act, eventually appearing in theaters and on regional and nationwide television. As of May 2007, he had reached thirty-two states, performing oral stories in forty-one cities. He was featured in several newspapers nationwide and on May 8, 2007 appeared on the front page of the
Austin American Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett. The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' international ...
as part of a two-page spread. On September 23, 2007, Landfair authored and performed a
one man show A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including auto ...
''48 States of Adventure'' at Washington D.C.'s
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (originally known as the Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts and simply known as Wolf Trap) is a performing arts center located on of national park land in unincorporated Fairfax Count ...
in front of a capacity crowd. The show was recorded as an album, 48 LIVE, which sells on iTunes. On September 24, 2007, the
Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
ran a feature on Landfair, his stories and his travels. Anchor
Shepard Smith David Shepard Smith Jr. (born January 14, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist. He served as chief general news anchor and host of ''The News with Shepard Smith'' on CNBC, a daily evening newscast launched in late September 2020; but his p ...
referred to Landfair as aspiring to become "the next John Steinbeck or Louis L'Amour." From 2007-2008, he published articles as associate editor of Prop. 65 Clearinghouse in San Francisco, then joined the production staff at New York City's
The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
in 2009. With approval from the
US State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
, Landfair left New York in 2010 to join an American delegation in
Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
,
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
. According to
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
, Landfair appears in the
Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies '' ...
documentary ''Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach'', which aired on ESPN in 2008 and was filmed during the 2006 college baseball season in which coach
Augie Garrido August Edmun "Augie" Garrido Jr. (February 6, 1939 – March 15, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and coach in NCAA Division I college baseball, best known for his stints with the Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball, Cal State ...
attempted to capture consecutive national titles. Landfair is also listed on the credits of Benjamin Moses Smith's short film ''David and the Fish''.


Land Of The Free

In June 2014, Landfair's semi-autobiographical novel ''Land of the Free'' was published by Harbinger Book Group with the support of a twenty-eight city book tour, which retraced parts of Landfair's motorcycle travels.Noll, Jessica. (2014-6-09), "American Storyteller Woodrow Landfair Documents His Adventure On The Road", CBS Richmond, V

/ref> The novel met mixed reviews, with
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
writing, “Throughout, Landfair’s evocative prose places the reader on the seemingly endless highways and byways of our expansive country. However, for all of its focus on trying to understand the American spirit, the novel fails to divulge very much information about its main character.”


References

* Golden, Cedric. (2007-05-08), "A Free Spirit and Ex-Horn Rides On", Austin American Statesma

(long article) * Loza, Josefina. (2007-06-14), "Writer on cross-country trip to share stories in Omaha", Omaha World-Heral

* Schafer, Alyssa. (2007-06-03), "Touring the 'Land of Opportunity'", Bismarck Tribun

* Dukes, Lucy. (2007-05-09), "Writer Speaking on Motorcycle Travels, Author Taking Trip To Be Fiction Book Guy", Coeur d'Alene Press (Feature on Landfair and his visit to Coeur d'Alene) * Healy, Amber. (2007-04-05), "Modern-Day Troubadour", Springfield Connectio

* Harris, Katie. (2007-04-06), "Motorcyclist Travels Nation, Plans to Give Away $3,000", Daily Toreado

(Article in Texas Tech University newspaper) * Pinkman, John. (2004–06), "After Injury Texas Player Moves On", Collegiate Baseball * Word Pres

* Reno Gazette-Journa

* University of Texas sports site article partly on Landfai

* Holcomb, Lori. (2007-07-12), "Friend Comes to B.C. during His Search for the 'Pulse of America'", Battle Creek Enquire

* Farrell, Joelle. (2007-07-23), "5 Questions for Cross-Country Motorcyclist", Concord Monito

* Tice, Lindsay. (2007-07-25), "Trek on Two Wheels", Sun Journa

* McNiff, Tim. (2007-07-05), "Travelin' Man", NBC Minneapolis KARE-1

(Television Interview) * Henley, Bill. (2007-08-10), "Woodrow Landfair", 10! Show, NBC Philadelphia * MATT & HUGGY. (2007-08-10), "Author Once Lived in Homeless Shelter", WYSP Philadelphia, Infinity/CBS/XM Satellite * Allen, Betty Archer. (2007-08-02), "Landfair Completes Cross Country Journey", Gulf Breeze News * Healy, Amber. (2007-09-13), "Long and Winding Road Home", Springfield Connection * Smith, Shepherd. (2007-09-24), "Author Travels America", Fox News Channel * Hayward, JC. (2007-11-09), "Woodrow 'Pack' Landfair", CBS Washington, D.C. * nbcnews.com. (2009-04-13), "What's The Secret To An Endless Vacation?

* Denver Post. (2009-05-31), "Permanent Tourists See, Show The World"

* Elliot, Christopher. (2009-05-24), "The Latest Trend? Becoming a Nomad", San Francisco Chronicl

* Richmond Times Dispatch. (2014-06-13), "Book Notes"

* Wilkinson, Bud. (2014-03-19), "Landfair Uses Journey As Basis For Novel", Ride-CT.co

* The Alcalde, (2014-4-29), "May, June Alumni Authors

* Duncan, S. Preston. (2014-05-29), "Woodrow Landfair's Land Of The Free Blends Truth And Fiction Into Cinematic American Travelogue", RVA Magazin

* Valeri, John. (2014-6-20), "Motorcycle Diaries: Woodrow Landfair on Land Of The Free", Hartford Books Examiner * Noll, Jessica. (2014-6-09), "American Storyteller Woodrow Landfair Documents His Adventure On The Road", CBS Richmond, V


External links

* The Across America Websit

(Chronicles Landfair's adventures) * LAND OF THE FREE Book Tour Webpag

* 2005 National Champion Roste

* The Baseball Cub

(page on Landfair's baseball career, but with no stats or information provided) * Texas State Legislature Bil

about the Baseball team, including him on a list. * Landfair's connection to
Huston Street Huston Lowell Street ( ; born August 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels. After ...
and
Omar Quintanilla Omar Quintanilla (born October 24, 1981) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Rockies (2005–2009), Texas Rangers (2011), New York Mets (2012, 2013-2014) and Baltimore Orioles (2 ...
br>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landfair, Woodrow Living people 1982 births 21st-century American novelists American male novelists American storytellers Long-distance motorcycle riders Sportspeople from Fairfax County, Virginia Writers from Austin, Texas Texas Longhorns baseball players University of Texas at Austin alumni 21st-century American male writers Novelists from Texas