Description
This 1954 edition of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Magazine & Program features an original contribution by John Steinbeck, titled simply Circus. In it, Steinbeck reflects on the traveling show’s emotional and cultural role in American life—a warm, thoughtful piece that blends his working-class empathy with the wonder of the Big Top. It’s a rare find in his body of work: tucked inside a circus program, surrounded by popcorn ads and acrobat photos — yet unmistakably Steinbeck.
The rest of the program includes Ringling’s full 1954 lineup: awesome vintage advertising, bios, and photos. But it’s the Steinbeck piece that gives this its punch—making it a must-have for Steinbeck completists, collectors of off-track literary appearances, and those chasing the forgotten corners of 20th-century American writing. Super cool cover illustration by Gaskerville—classic circus cheesecake meets pulp vibrancy.
John Steinbeck. In a circus program — wedged between tiger photos and clown bios. It’s barely cataloged and oddly appropriate.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.