Review
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Title: On the Road with Joseph Smith
Author: Richard Lyman Bushman
Publisher: Greg Kofford Books
Genre: Non-fiction
Year Published: 2007
Number of Pages: 140
Binding: Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-58958-102-9
Price: $14.95
Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle
Forgive me for beginning with a quick anecdote. In August of 2007 I had the great fortune of being able to attend the Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City. It had been nearly a decade since my last visit. The generosity of friends made the visit possible.
I had a chance to see many old friends, including the irascible Will Bagley. Will and I were passing the Kofford book table, and Greg said to Will, "Your name is in the index of Bushman's new book!" Will grabbed a copy, wondering what Bushman had to say about him. I decided to rib Will a bit and said, "Hey, if your name is in the index, so is mine!" We all laughed at the thought. Lo and behold, I *am* in the index, and there are three mentions!
(Some may think that this will guarantee a good review of a book. I will have to remain objective...)
"On the Road with Joseph Smith" is Richard Bushman's intimate and very readable diary of the events that led to the publication of his landmark volume, "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling." He begins his story crediting his assistant, Jed Woodworth, with the enormous task of fact-checking and generally helping to usher this book through to publication. He speaks eloquently of his relationships with his publisher, booksellers, and others involved in the process of publication and distribution.
What strikes the reader immediately is Bushman's own sense of certainty in his own fallibility. This came as something of a surprise. After reading RSR (the accepted abbreviation for "Rough Stone Rolling"), I remember thinking that here was a sure-footed writer and historian, a man in control of the facts and willing to take chances in his writing. Instead, in this diary we have a glimpse into the man's own uncertainty about how well the book will sell, about how it will be received by the General Authorities of the Church, and whether his publisher will earn back what it invested in this project.
Bushman has an interesting approach in his remembrance. He recalls his doubts and fears, and then where he and his wife Claudia ate dinner at each milestone in the publication process. I felt as if I were living in two dimensions -- the world of the historian and writer, and then the world of an ordinary man who has set out to produce an extraordinary work. Indeed, Bushman's previous works have been hailed as excellent works of historical research. And, for the record, his wife Claudia is likewise a scholar and writer.
The author gains further credibility when we read of his various interfaith activities -- conferences and lectures studying religious traditions other than his own. And both he, and Kofford Books, are to be credited for knowing how to spell "Seventh-day Adventist" correctly! Speaking of Kofford Books, the presentation of this volume is just beautiful. From the cover design, to the comfortable typeface, to the unique wide-flapped cover, the book is a delight to hold and to read. Thanks, Greg, for taking such care in the production of this book.
Writing about Joseph Smith is always a risk. As Bushman himself reflects, you run the risk of offending either the faithful believers or the enlightened skeptics, or perhaps even both. In my review of RSR, I indicated my pleasure that Bushman elected to take a middle of the road approach through most of the book. In RSR, Joseph Smith comes alive in ways I'd never encountered before in two decades of Mormon studies. In "On the Road," Richard Bushman likewise comes to life, a man who is far from ordinary, a scholar devoted to his task and willing to take risks.
I feel a bit uncomfortable describing Bushman as a "work in progress" -- it sounds a bit demeaning. But, in many ways, we're all works in progress. We all take our abilities and match them against our insecurities and, with luck, emerge from the encounter with a positive contribution to scholarship and society. Bushman succeeds brilliantly, both here and in RSR.
If you've read RSR, then "On the Road with Joseph Smith" is a necessary follow-up. The former gives you a multi-dimensional view of a complex and conflicted prophet. The latter gives you a fascinating window into the mind of a distinguished historian and writer. This book is simply not to be missed.
I've met Bushman only once, in an encounter he is not likely to recall. I hope to have a chance to meet him again. Not unlike historian Jan Shipps, Bushman has depths of knowledge I'd love to plumb one day.
Greg Kofford and his team have become important players in the field of Mormon publishing and scholarship. They deserve our support and patronage. The best is yet to come!
Jeff Needle
Association for Mormon Letters
jeff.needle@gmail.comwww.aml-online.orgwww.LDSBookLovers.com/Needle.html
