American Oz: An Astonishing Year Inside Traveling Carnivals at State Fairs and Festivals: Hitchhiking California to New York, Alaska to Mexico

"Reminiscent of ... the gritty writings of Studs Terkel and John Steinbeck, with a dash of Jack Kerouac, Tony Horwitz, and even Hunter S. Thompson." Review!

"Majestic ... Deep Observations About Life!" -- Chicago Tribune.
American OZ is a rollicking, gritty, adventurous story of life in the secretive subculture of traveling carnivals. You'll never see your state fair or street festival the same way again.
Comerford writes a bold, inspiring true story of a year working on the road behind the scenes with the colorful characters and legends of carnivals.
He shares stories of freaks, a carnival pimp, and the last King of the Sideshows. A dunk tank insult-clown is shot. Masked gunmen rob his carnival. And a young showman friend dies a shocking death on the road.
It's a new classic American road story as he hitchhikes to shows in California, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Alaska, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and Florida where he works in a freak show.
He becomes the #1 hitchhiker in the USA and a top agent at the State Fair of Texas.
He travels to the dangerous foothills of Mexico to see the new face of the American carny. He exposes the truths about seasonal work, labor abuse, and living between two worlds.
People seek love and meaning in their lives on the road. Comerford finds we're all connected in more ways than we know.
"American OZ Pulls Back the Curtain on Carnival Life to Show Us Ourselves."-- WindyCityReviews/BookTrib