Bill Meissner, MFA ’72, author of 12 books, recently published the novel The Wonders of the Little World (2024, Stephen F. Austin University Press). The book tells the tale of Estelle Esmeralda, a fortune teller in a suffocating, small-scale carnival, who is unable to predict her own future, much less discover where her missing husband, Tony, has gone. With their daughter riding along, Estelle sets out on a road trip to search for Tony, a charismatic tightrope walker who disappeared suddenly on a quest to rectify his past.
UMass Magazine recently spoke to Meissner about the circus’s influence on his early life, the background behind his most recent book, and his favorite carnival attractions. Read the full interview on UMass Magazine.