{"product_id":"art-wasted-day-hampl-9780143132882","title":"The Art of the Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-description-container\" style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; color: #111111; max-width: 800px; margin: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px;\"\u003eThe Art of the Wasted Day\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #333333; border-bottom: 2px solid #8b0000; padding-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eby Patricia Hampl\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-style: italic; color: #555555; font-size: 1.1em; margin: 20px 0;\"\u003e“A sharp and unconventional book — a swirl of memoir, travelogue and biography of some of history's champion day-dreamers.” — Maureen Corrigan, NPR's \u003cem\u003eFresh Air\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #fcf4f4; border-left: 5px solid #8b0000; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 25px; box-shadow: 2px 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #5a0000;\"\u003e⌛ MEMOIR | LITERARY TRAVELOGUE | PHILOSOPHY OF LEISURE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 5px 0 0 0; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003eA spirited inquiry into the lost value of daydreaming and the profound intellectual architecture found within the quietude of solitude.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Art of the Wasted Day\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eis a picaresque travelogue of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment with solitude. Patricia Hampl, a master of the personal essay, visits the homes of historic exemplars of ease who transformed repose into an art form. Her journey begins with the celebrated eighteenth-century \"Ladies of Llangollen\" in rural Wales, continues to Moravia to examine the monastic life of Gregor Mendel, and reaches its peak in Bordeaux with Michel de Montaigne—the man who retreated to his chateau tower to invent the personal essay by writing whatever passed through his mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHampl weaves her own life through these pilgrimages: from childhood daydreams under a neighbor’s beechnut tree to a fascination with monasticism, and eventually to the profound loss of her husband. What begins as an international quest for the secret of \"retirement\" culminates in a domestic adventure down the Mississippi River. This text serves as a compelling celebration of the human necessity to get lost in thought, arguing that leisure is not a void but a cornerstone of spiritual and creative well-being.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 20px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 25px 0; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatricia Hampl\u003c\/strong\u003e is an acclaimed American memoirist and a 1990 MacArthur Fellow. She is a founding member of The Loft Literary Center and teaches in the MFA program at the University of Minnesota. Her work, which frequently explores Czech heritage, solitude, and the writing life, has earned her multiple Guggenheim Fellowships and NEA awards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eReader Targeting \u0026amp; Academic Utility\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLiterary Scholars \u0026amp; Essayists:\u003c\/strong\u003e A critical exploration of the origins of the personal essay and the influence of Montaigne.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemoir Enthusiasts:\u003c\/strong\u003e An evocative study on grief, memory, and the \"silver thread\" of life inquiry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePhilosophy of Mind:\u003c\/strong\u003e Examines the historical and biological debt science and art owe to the act of daydreaming.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 30px; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold; width: 30%;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003e9780143132882\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003e0143132881\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eFormat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003ePaperback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eLanguage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003ePenguin Books\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003eApril 16, 2019\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eSubjects\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003eBiography \u0026amp; Memoirs, Travelogues \u0026amp; Self-Help\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Features\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStarred Reviews from \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eALA Booklist\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNamed an \"exquisite anatomy of mind\" by \u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e and a \"moving, lyrical, intellectually bracing read\" by \u003cem\u003eThe Seattle Times\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"A beautifully crafted testament to the necessity of introspection in a hyper-productive world.\" — \u003cem\u003eBust Down Books Editorial Review\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-top: 40px; padding: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #eee; font-size: 0.9em;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eBust-Down Books: A Name You Can Trust\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 5px 0;\"\u003eArmed With Education\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n    {\n      \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n      \"@type\": \"Book\",\n      \"name\": \"The Art of the Wasted Day\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\n        \"name\": \"Patricia Hampl\"\n      },\n      \"isbn\": \"9780143132882\",\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Paperback\",\n      \"datePublished\": \"2019-04-16\",\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Penguin Books\"\n      },\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"price\": \"6.99\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n        \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\"\n      },\n      \"brand\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n        \"name\": \"Bust Down Books\"\n      }\n    }\n    \u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50674456002875,"sku":"0143132881","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780143132882.jpg?v=1774868927","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/art-wasted-day-hampl-9780143132882","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}