A Minnesota native and lifelong backpacker, Michael Neiman walked the Appalacian Trail’s 2,192 miles continuously from Georgia to Maine in 2018. The northern stretch took him through small New England towns like Pawling, NY and Kent, CT, where bakeries and B&Bs treated dirty hikers and big city honeymooners alike. And that cozy, hometown feel was part of why he eventually made the rolling hills of Ridgefield home.
Neiman’s books capture the experience and excitement of trail life, including how it can lead to a nichkname like Sharkbait. His first book, Platinum-Blazing the Appalachian Trail (2019), is a community standard “best-of” guide for hikers who want to plan their own AT trek without missing the best waterfalls, hostels, and breweries along the way.
His new memoir, Hello My Name is Sharkbait (2025), is for everyone else. It brings his full story of walking 150 days through the Appalachian Mountains to life, with dramatic moments and memorable characters that step off the page at a pace built for a quick summer read.
Both books share the same belief: create the space and dedicate the time to live your dreams while you still can.
His books are available on his website, from online retailers, and at local 068 bookstores. For more infomation, go to @HelloNeiman or www.HelloNeiman.com.•
you can now vote for who to highlight for One More Thing:
Go to 068magazine.com/voteforonemorething link and fill out the form to recommend a person you would like to see highlighted who is exceptional in the arts. You can vote for any category of artist and then list the name of the artist or work of art. If you are an artist, please use the HIGHLIGHT MY ART graphic which can be downloaded to campaign for votes. The artist with the most votes in August will be spotlighted in the September/October issue
Thank you for supporting the arts in Fairfield County.
