The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld

Surfing in Far Rockaway, romantic obsession, and Moby-Dick converge in this winning and refreshing memoir

Winner of the Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction

Justin Hocking lands in New York hopeful but adrift-he's jobless, unexpectedly overwhelmed and disoriented by the city, struggling with anxiety and obsession, and attempting to maintain a faltering long-distance relationship. As a man whose brand of therapy has always been motion, whether in a skate park or on a snowdrift, Hocking needs an outlet for his restlessness. Then he spies his first New York surfer hauling a board to the subway, and its not long before he's a member of the vibrant and passionate surfing community at Far Rockaway. But in the wake of a traumatic robbery incident, the dark undercurrents of his ocean-obsession pull him further and further out on his own night sea journey.

With Moby-Dick as a touchstone, and interspersed with interludes on everything from the history of surfing to Scientology's naval ties to the environmental impact of the Iraq War, The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld is a multifaceted and enduring modern odyssey from a memorable and whip-smart new literary voice.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Published: 02/11/2014
ISBN: 9781555976699
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.78lbs
Size: 8.18h x 5.69w x 0.77d
Award: Oregon Book Awards - Winner
Award: Literary Award - Finalist

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2014
Shelf Awareness 02/28/2014
New York Times Book Review 03/09/2014 pg. 16
New Yorker (The) 04/14/2014 pg. 83
LJ Best Books of Year 12/01/2014 pg. 33
Kirkus Best Nonfiction 12/01/2014 pg. 26