I’ve always been fascinated by high-wire walkers, also known as tightrope walkers, probably because I’m afraid of heights. I’m also kind of a klutz, so the idea that people can balance on a tiny wire many feet above the ground intrigues me. It also scares the heck out of me. So how does one have experiences without risking one’s life and limbs? To avoid injury and/or untimely death, one can either read about daring escapades or one can watch movies about daring escapades, of course!

I recently saw “The Walk” in a movie theater. “The Walk” is a dramatization of the true adventure of French wire walker Philippe Petit, who surreptitiously (and illegally) strung a cable across the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City in August 1974, while the towers were still under construction. He then proceeded to walk back and forth eight times, performing for a total of 45 minutes for incredulous NYC commuters. 1,350 feet above the ground (about a quarter mile up). No net, no safety harness. No brains? Maybe so, but he had lots of nerve. The movie does a good job of capturing the birth of Petit’s obsession and subsequent planning to carry out an event of this magnitude (Petit called it “le coup”). I saw the movie in 3-D, which exacerbated my acrophobia, but it was a “safe” way to experience the extreme height and danger of Petit’s incredible feat.

I wanted more, so checked the library catalog to see what else was available about Petit. I checked out “Man on Wire” on DVD, a documentary made in 2008 incorporating interviews and actual footage of the 1974 event. It was fun to listen to the real participants after watching a dramatization and interesting to see the event itself.

Petit has written several books himself. “To Reach the Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers” tells the dramatic story in the artiste’s own words, supplemented with photographs taken by one of his collaborators (this book was re-published in July 2015 with the title “The Walk”). Petit also wrote “Why Knot?: How to Tie More than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving, and Secure Knots!” The title is self-explanatory, and if you see either movie, you will understand just how important it is to a high-wire walker to know how to tie strong knots. “Creativity: The Perfect Crime” is another book written by Petit. In it, he discusses the creative process with a fresh approach, taking the reader through the process from germinating the ideas to practicing and problem solving to pulling off the finished work, or “le coup,” as he calls it.

“The Man Who Walked Between the Towers” by Mordicai Gerstein is a children’s non-fiction picture book contained in the library’s collection. It features wonderful illustrations and won the Caldecott Medal in 2004. If you prefer to listen to this great story, the audio version of this book is available in the Traverse des Sioux catalog.

A book of interviews with Petit is titled “Paroxysm” by Jean Baudrillard. Petit demonstrates his wit and wide-encompassing interests and opinions in interview topics ranging from politics to philosophy and culture. If you prefer to read fiction, “Let the Great World Spin” by Colum McCann is set in NYC on the day Petit performed his high-wire act. The focus is on a cast of characters who interweave, with the Petit event as a backdrop to the various dramas of all these lives. It’s a fabulous read and comes highly recommended.

This incredible high-wire performance by Petit was the beginning of New York City’s love affair with the World Trade Center, which in light of the tragic events of 9/11 makes the story all that much more poignant. Stop in to your library and let us put a hold on any (or all) of these items. Stay safe and cozy while you live the wild life vicariously through books and movies!