Written for the Road

The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer: Close Encounters with Strangers is a collection of essays written by Eric Hansen. Hansen details his explorations, which span thirty years of his life, and leap from the French Riviera to the South Pacific, India, Manhattan, California, Borneo, and back to California. From smuggling fish in the South Pacific to volunteering at Mother Teresa's "Nirmal Hriday" (Home for Dying Destitutes). This haunting vignette alone makes this magical book worthwhile. Like the retired Ballerina who shelters a homeless woman, the characters he meets along the way will surely anchor themselves in your imagination. His stories demonstrate human generosity, isolation, friendship, and a bevy of emotions that are both inspirational and relatable. Hansen recalls his experiences with beautiful sincerity, and humor. Any traveler knows that the road will lead to experiences which previously seemed impossible, and Hansen's stories are a prime example of this, with delightful, affecting surprises embedded in these narratives of uncommon and daring lives.