(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
“The act of walking is one of revolution, and one of continuity.”
“Walking gives us time to think, time to reflect…”
“When you walk, you shed where you have been.”
These are just a few quotes from Ways of Walking. These twenty-six essays look at this common activity in unique ways from diverse perspectives. Some are historical, some are philosophical, and still, most are personal.
In years past, walking was performed with a purpose such as, following flocks, invading neighboring kingdoms, making pilgrimages, and escaping slavery.
Some stories are of indigenous people and the effect of colonialism, such as The Walking Purchase of 1737. In “The Three-Century Walk” Kalela Williams describes the Black History walking tours she led in Philadelphia, where she included the pre-Civil war era with freedom seeking walkers. She notes that one can experience so much more while walking as opposed to bus tours. I agree.
When did the tern “hike” come into use? Some essays examine writers and naturists such as Baudelaire, Thoreau, Whitman, and Muir and their philosophy on walking.
Local artists walk one hundred miles around the perimeter of Philadelphia over 5 1/2 days to engage with their environment. Do a writer and photographer see the surroundings in the same way? An archaeologist living in Rome describes her 350 mile walk to Southern Italy. One man walks from Pittsburgh, PA to St. Paul, MN. Why?
There are so many experiences in this collection. A woman who grew up in Los Angeles talks about walking in a city where the activity is frowned upon. A black man relates his experiences of walking in an all-white neighborhood of Philadelphia. Another talks about prejudging people while walking through the tunnels of that city. A disabled woman navigates the attractions of London. Another relates his frustrations with walking outside of America’s major airports. Connections between walking and religion are explored in unexpected ways.
Yasser Allaham’s fascinating essay, “Crossing to Jordan” in which he describes his forty -day walk from Syria to get to his family to Jordan, particularly affected me.
I relate to the woman who saw walking as a source of power and fear at the same time. And I can’t forget the essay on the sense of power and resistance that walking gives to a middle schooler.
Yes, many of these stories will be nostalgic, and there is something for everyone in this collection. Most importantly, after reading Ways of Walking, readers will never view this activity in the same way as before.
