NWPL: Circle of Sawdust, A Circus Memoir 

What goes on behind the scenes at the circus? Rob Mermin, a performer and founder of Circus Smirkus, will talk with journalist Rob Gurwitt about traveling, clowning, and chasing a dream.
Circle of Sawdust: A Circus Memoir of Mud, Myth, Mirth, Mayhem, and Magic is a uniquely personal story of the wild characters, fascinating personalities, remarkable histories, and behind-the-scenes world of traditional traveling circuses. Here is a true-life tale about a boy’s impulse to run off and join the circus and then-through doubt, failure, loss, and tragedy-pursue the implausible vision of starting his own circus! With humor and passion, the founder of Circus Smirkus, Rob Mermin, writes about the precarious life of a creative artist, the ups and downs of taking risks, and the idealistic struggle to hold onto a dream.