BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The age-old saying ‘run off and join the circus’ sat well with Circus Smirkus founder Rob Mermin, who is releasing a memoir at the end of May.
Mermin is a Vermont native who has worked in the circus business for over 50 years as the former Dean of the Ringling Brothers Clown College and the founder of Circus Smirkus. His new memoir is titled Circles of Sawdust: A Circus Memoir of Mud, Myth, Mirth, Mayhem, and Magic.
Our John McMahon sat down with Mermin to discuss his life’s work.
John: “Let’s now wind back the clock to 1969 when you first joined the circus. What was that initial spark that made you want to jump into show business?”
Mermin: “Well, in 1969, I was 19 years old. You know, when you’re 19 years old, you’re looking for how you’re going to fit in the world. What are you going to do with your life? And at that age, you’re full of adventure. I wanted to find out how I can contribute my talents and skills, which were basically circus skills… I had taught myself to juggle, walk the wire. I wanted to find out what the European and tradition of circus was all about.”
John: “And with such a long career now under your belt, how did you decide what stories to tell in this book?”
Mermin: “Well, I really found out what the European circus traditions are all about. Very different than American. You know, in America, we have the image of circus as being something that was disreputable, sleazy. Clowns were scary. You know, this kind of Hollywood propaganda over in Europe. I found that circuses were like family dynasties running the circus business. Circus families were very close-knit. Circus kids of circus artists were very mature. You know, a ten-year-old would know how to speak three languages and know geography simply by traveling in the circus with his family.”
John: “And you mentioned some of that Americanized version of the of the circus. What do you hope readers take away, especially knowing what you just said, from this book?”
Mermin: “Two things. One is that the tradition of circus goes back generations and generations. And it’s a fabulous lifestyle, to grow up in the circus. And number two, especially for generations of circus alumni and former students. My story about running off to the circus with the idea of creating my own circus eventually, which came out of Circus Smirkus, I faced a lot of obstacles, a lot of naysayers, people who had no idea what I was talking about, starting a circus in rural Vermont with kids under a tent. They had no idea. And back when I started Circus Circus in 1987, there were really no circus schools, no circus camps in this country. So I faced a lot of obstacles, and I hope readers can take from my story the idea that, yes, if you have ideals and a dream, go for it. Don’t let go. Push through the naysayers and go for it.”
Mermin’s memoir will be available May 28.