Juggling

by Stewart Sinclair

In Juggling , Stewart Lawrence Sinclair explores the four-thousand-year history and practice of juggling as seen through his life as a juggler. Sinclair—who learned to juggle as a child and paid his way through college by busking—shares his experiences of taking up juggling after an episode of suicidal ideation, his time juggling on the streets, and ultimately finding comfort in juggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, this is a book about loss and recovery. From his own juggling story to clowns braving military checkpoints in Bosnia and Rwanda to perform in refugee camps to contemporary avant-garde performances, Sinclair shows how the universal language of juggling provides joy as well as a respite from difficulties during hard times.

152 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[MEJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“That's probably what I find most fascinating about the circus: it has always been this realm of exploitation, often explicitly targeting the most vulnerable—people with birth anomalies, immigrants, little people, or just folks who prefer a ‘fringe’ lifestyle. But because the circus has also long been one of the only places where such people can be included, it's also a place of deep community, where people often carry on the circus life for generations. I’d argue that one of the reasons that the circus has endured past its cultural zenith is because the performers themselves don't want to live any other way. To be a circus artist is much the same as being a poet—beautifully unprofitable. Diehard daughters and sons of the sawdust would probably echo e.e. cummings in saying ‘Damn everything but the circus.’ … There's a reason the circus metaphor gels so well with the most abhorrently disingenuous corners of society: the political arena, the tabloid frenzy.”

[Katharine Fitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fellow juggler, this book was overflowing with familiarity. Places I've been, people I know, even entire passages I recognize as things I've said verbatim to people I've taught--it's a short read, but it does so much to capture what the community is about (and the fact that, fundamentally, so much of juggling is about the complex relationship between belonging and not belonging as well as a search for hope). I think the author sells himself short on the usefulness of this book in teaching someone how to juggle as it outlines the basics pretty thoroughly and provides just enough insight into the mathematics and history of juggling to get someone started down the rabbit hole, but it's real strength is definitely in its portrayal of juggling as a space one enters, an archetype one embodies. I'd really recommend this book to anyone really searching for community--juggling might just be the skill that saves you.

[Claire Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juggling (Practices) is an engaging and thought-provoking read that explores balance, challenges, and the different ways we navigate life. Stewart Lawrence Sinclair offers a unique perspective that encourages readers to reflect and see everyday experiences in a new way.