Under the Big Top

A Season with the Circus

Bruce Feiler

For my brother,

my other eye

The circus is a jealous wench. Indeed, that is an understatement. She is a ravening bag who sucks your vitality as a vampire drinks blood—who kills the brightest stars in her crown and who will allow no private life to those who serve her; wrecking their homes, ruining their bodies, and destroying the happiness of their loved ones by her insatiable demands. She is all of these things, and yet, I love her as I love nothing else on earth

.

HENRY RINGLING NORTH

Program of Arenic Displays

Epigraph

Winter Quarters

1 A Toe in the Ring

First Half

The Circus on Parade

2 Under a Canvas Sky

A Rare Breed of Tiger

3 First of May

Facing the Fire

4 Outsiders Always Make Mistakes

Swings of Fate

5 This Is When They Become Real

Give the Bear a Dog

6 Death of a Naïf

The Amazing Art of Hair Suspension

7 Please Don’t Pet the Elephants

Nights with White Stallions

8 A Streak of Blood

Intermission

The Color of Popcorn

Second Half

9 The Star of the Show

Triple Whammy

10 Without Saying Goodbye

Where Are the Clowns?

11 Reborn

Love on the Wire

12 At Heaven’s Door

An American Dream

Home

Behind the Painted Smiles

Read All About It

Author’s Note

About the Author

Praise

Other Books by Bruce Feiler

Copyright

About the Publisher