For the most part Woolf lived the life he depicts in his writing, deliberately rejecting the expectations of mainstream America and preferring to live among and as society's misfits. He wandered incessantly, usually by car, preferring temporary marginal jobs of all kinds ― such as migrant farm worker, driver, ice cream seller, door-to-door market researcher — providing much of the experiences and detail of his fiction.
Woolf lived a life mirroring his writing, deliberately rejecting mainstream American expectations and choosing to live among society's outcasts. He frequently traveled, usually by car, preferring temporary jobs of all kinds — such as farm worker, driver, ice cream seller, or market researcher — which provided the experiences and details for his fiction.