Juggling
Practices
Stewart Lawrence Sinclair’s Juggling is a memoir, an analysis, and a guide; it examines the role of the hobby in Sinclair’s personal search for meaning.
Through a series of linked essays, Juggling pivots between relating Sinclair’s introduction to juggling and his return to it during COVID-19 and sharing illustrated instruction for aspiring jugglers alongside a history of the art of juggling. The lessons that Sinclair derived from being a juggler are offered alongside a careful interrogation of the mechanics of juggling; Sinclair argues that juggling patterns are echoed across disciplines, including in art, physics, and music.
Juggling, Sinclair writes, was a source of respite for him during his depressed, anxious, and lonely youth; it remained empowering to him across the decades that followed. He writes about busking in different cities and opening up to the world as an entertainer. Juggling, he shows, helped him to establish a sense of control amid chaos. The book is evocative when it comes to reproducing such scenes and conversations; its narrative is accessible throughout.
Juggling is a powerful book about the practice of juggling—and about the benefits of perseverance.
Reviewed by
Arianna Rebolini
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
