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Following two decades as a journalist in Vermont, Virginia, and Florida, John Howland Jr. served as Vermont’s deputy secretary of state, deputy state auditor, and director of the state’s medical practice board. He is now a massage therapist and has been part of the Contact Improvisation dance community for many years.
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In Finding My Place in the Dance, John Howland Jr. recounts a life spent searching for a place where he feels at home. Raised in rural Vermont, he yearns to see the world, although a hearing impairment that remains undiagnosed until he is sixteen makes everyday communication difficult. As a young man, he crisscrossed North America, finding employment along the way before discovering a talent for newspaper reporting. His success as an investigative journalist leads him into Vermont state government, where he begins to think seriously about seeking elected office. Meanwhile, the shame instilled by his Catholic upbringing continues to influence his relationships. An introduction to Contact Improvisation, a dance based on spontaneous physical contact between partners, gives Howland a new way of connecting with people and begins changing what he wants from his future.
John Howland Jr.’s Finding My Place in the Dance is a thoughtful memoir, and the author writes about belonging with total openness. I went into the book curious about what drew a journalist into dance, and connected almost immediately. Howland’s conversational style creates familiarity, especially when he admits uncertainty about himself. I loved how encouraging his return to education is for readers reconsidering old ambitions. At thirty-one, he persuades Bread Loaf director Paul Cubeta to admit him for graduate study despite lacking an undergraduate degree. Howland's beautiful descriptions of the physical language of dance make this one of the best memoir reads of the year for me. At Earthdance, he describes how dancers lean into each other, sharing their weight until leading and following seem to disappear. It's spectacular. Well-written and heartfelt, readers who enjoy memoirs about discovering where they belong will adore this.
