Review: Base Oasis by Jack Dunsmoor

A compelling and lesson-laden memoir that echoes with wisdom, Base Oasis: Finding My Way Home Again! by Jack Dunsmoor is a raw and unflinching collection of essays.

From youthful confusion over his absent father and empathy for those mistreated by vicious societal systems to secret UFO sightings and casual violations of child labor laws, this is a rich and detailed memoir of a truly remarkable life. These forty essays delve into broadly relatable experiences of growing up and making mistakes, outsmarting bullies, managing mental health as an awkward teenager, lifelong struggles with self-esteem, finding a sense of belonging and purpose, the pitfalls of exotic travel, and the grind of chasing down work.

As a critical exploration of the idea of home, the book examines how the concept of place informs our concept of self, and how delicate that relationship can be when roots and stability feel forever out of reach. Swerving between the lanes of formative memories, painful secrets, and fond recollections, these essays offer a composite portrait of the author as a sensitive, thoughtful, pragmatic, and honest man, one who gives trust, rather than demands respect. As he narrates the dynamic tale of his residence-shifting existence, readers are not only shown the gritty side of bare-bones survival, but also given a chance to empathize with an author who can share the emotional nuance of class struggle.

Armed with self-aware humor and a bittersweet undercurrent, the writing is surprisingly free of ego, and smoothly moves through contemporary themes and timely issues. From fiery speeches about Puerto Rican representation to his revealing discussions of “psychological rainstorms,” this is a transparent and impassioned testament to resilience. The essays are poignant and deeply personal, benefitting from a stream-of-consciousness storytelling style that draws readers in with authenticity and vulnerability.

Each piece holds something along the lines of a moral, although the circuitous nature of the telling can sometimes bury that lede in anecdotes and unexpected narrative tangents. As though Dunsmoor is performing a spontaneous oral history of his own life, one tale seems to trigger the memory of another, easily pulling readers away from the original subject or intention of a given account. At times, the essays are more detailed than necessary, with the author explaining every small event and procedural detail, which can drag the pace and obscure the emotional impact of the essay at hand.

From a technical perspective, there are quite a few issues, such as inconsistent capitalizations, run-on sentences, improper punctuation, and an excessive use of exclamation points, among other superficial critiques. The author has a broad vocabulary and many of the essays feel crafted with academic precision – however, others seem somewhat rushed, or not structured with the same sense of clarity. A final editing pass for trimming and improving certain sections of prose would be recommended to let the inspiring core of this collection shine through.

Despite a few execution stumbles, Dunsmoor proves himself to be a fearless storyteller, a contemplative historian, and a noble voice for the overlooked everyman, resulting in a poignant collection of reflective essays.