For Keri Smith, author of Wreck This Journal, The Wander Society started with a used copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. Inside she found mysterious scribbles and notes, including a thunderbolt with the words "Solvitur ambulando"--"it is solved by walking"--and under that, "The Wander Society." The unusual discovery piqued Smith's interest and she commenced investigating. The Internet provided little insight, but then she read Whitman's great work and began wandering with her eyes open.
Including examples of the posters, pamphlets, flyers and other media she found during her walks, Smith explains what she's come to understand the Wander Society to be: a group of individuals united by a desire to let their souls and minds roam. Through wandering, they heighten their creativity and experiment with the unknown.
The Wander Society offers suggestions for different approaches, like roaming with a purpose, meandering through libraries, listening while strolling and following/tracking. It provides directions for creating wandering materials, such as a walking stick or notebook, and a Wander Society station for connecting with other members. Smith has collected and organized the information in a way that inspires the reader to pack up the book and set out immediately.
Smith's enthusiasm illustrated through the marginalia she's scratched in the pages heightens the mysteriousness of the group, giving it an almost Dead Poet Society feel. Creative people of all walks of life--or those wanting to spark their imagination--should be energized by this wonderful resource. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts