Duxbury author’s skiing nonfiction is ‘Just Exactly Perfect’
January 2, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Book cover image courtesy of Edward Brennan
Mad River Glen and Sugarbush are two key settings in a new work of nonfiction by Duxbury author Edward Brennan.
“Just Exactly Perfect: Cautionary Tales about Skiing and Being in the Mad River Valley” is set in the colorful, familiar Mad River Valley ski scene, starting with Brennan’s days as a self-described ski bum in the 1980s.
With a resume that includes ski instructor, masters ski racer, and a longtime ski columnist, Brennan today works in nonprofit fundraising in Vermont along with writing.
His ski columns from The Valley Reporter newspaper figure prominently in the book as it chronicles local skiers, both famous and not-so-famous, alongside innovations in the sport.
Valley Reporter Editor Lisa Loomis praises Brennan’s addition to the Vermont ski history canon. “We’re excited about Ed’s book as it simultaneously chronicles a large swath of the history of the people and skiing in the Mad River Valley, while taking the time to discover the ‘why’ of skiing and what it means to flow down a mountain,” Loomis said. “Kudos, Ed, on a job well done.”
World-famous extreme skier and filmmaker Dan Egan, author of “30 Years in a White Haze,” writes in his book preview that Brennan “captures the heart and rhythm” of the Mad River Valley. “Through characters, legends, and local lore, Brennan reveals where it all began and the people who gave this valley its unmistakable soul,” he notes, calling the book “a love letter to mountain culture.”
Brennan’s collection of ski history storytelling is earning praise from other Vermont experts on the topic, too.
“Ed Brennan is a master of flow. He elevates skiing from the realm of mere physical activity to a state of balance between mind, body, and Earth,” writes journalist and author David Goodman. “Skiing at its best is a state of flow. Ed has the rare talent of being able to flow on skis and also on the printed page… And we get to keep up with Ed on the deepest days and the dog days.”
Living and writing in Waterbury, Goodman is the author of the book, “Best of Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast,” and a member of the Waterbury Roundabout’s community advisory board.
Published on Dec. 9, “Just Exactly Perfect” is available in paperback by special order at independent bookstores, and online at bookshop.org and justexactlyperfectbook.com. Brennan says an e-book version will also be available soon.