Wisdom and Nonsense: My Adventures as a Train Rider and Hobo Queen

In 1979 at the age of 30, Julianna Porrazzo gave herself the hobo moniker of “Minneapolis Jewel” and hopped her first freight train to ride to Britt, Iowa, to attend the National Hobo Convention. She would take this trip every year for the next 40 years, becoming fully part of the hobo family, meeting gritty, one-of-a kind individuals (one she even married) and being elected Queen of the Hobos five times. Wisdom and Nonsense is the story of her train rides, hobo friendships, adventures, and tragedy.