Travel Writing World

Listen to the Episode Episode Synopsis Today's episode brings us to Oxford, U.K., where Anna Sherman speaks with us about trespassing into foreign cultures, finding a voice in a new language, and thinking about time in Japan. We also talk about her debut book, The Bells of Old Tokyo: Meditations on Time and a City. In the interview, Anna and I bring up The Book of Tea, The Daibo Coffee Manual, Daibo Dreamed of Coffee, and Pico Iyer, whom I recently interviewed for this podcast. You can read...

Listen to the Episode Episode Synopsis Today's episode brings us to Birmingham, U.K., where Jonathan Chatwin speaks with us about modern Beijing and urban design, his travel writing influences, and his new book Long Peace Street: A Walk in Modern China (Manchester 2019). Jonathan holds a PhD in English literature and writes regularly on Chinese history and culture. His essays have been published by the British Film Institute, the South China Morning Post, and the Asian Review of Books to...

Listen to the Episode Episode Synopsis Today's episode brings us to Orlando, where I'm recording a solo show! I give reflections following a year of podcasting, my goals for 2020, and some personal updates. I wanted to do a one-year reflection on the show closer to the New Year's Day, but I couldn't because of wanting to honor my episode release schedule. This might seem odd as it is in the middle of January already and people are tired of these end-of-year reviews, but here I am. 2019...

Listen to the Episode Rolf Potts Interview Synopsis Today’s episode brings us to Kansas, where Rolf Potts speaks with us about writing travel memoir, the differences between memoir and autobiography, and his Paris travel writing summer workshops. Rolf is an American travel writer, perhaps best known for his 2003 book Vagabonding. His essays and articles have been published in Nat Geo Traveler, Outside, The Guardian, and in the Best American Travel Writing 2000 edited by Bill Bryson. In the...

Listen to the Episode Alexandra Fuller Interview Synopsis Today’s episode brings us to a highway in the Midwest, USA, where Alexandra Fuller speaks with us about challenging dominant narratives and about her experience as Guest Editor for the Best American Travel Writing 2019. Alexandra Fuller is an award-winning writer whose books include Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (2001), Cocktail Hour Under The Tree of Forgetfulness (2011), Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier...

Listen to the Episode Craig Childs Interview Synopsis Today’s episode brings us to Colorado, where Craig Childs speaks with us about the desert and dry places, and the importance of familiarity, meaning, and intimacy in writing about place. Craig is an adventurer and writer who focuses on natural sciences, archaeology, and journeys into the global wilderness. He is a commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Men's Journal,...

Listen to the Episode Martin Gayford Interview Synopsis In today's episode, I speak with Martin Gayford about the importance of seeing art while traveling, the experience of art in the age of Instagram, and his new book, The Pursuit of Art: Travels, Encounters and Revelations. We geek out talking about art and other topics like Walter Benjamin's notion of the "aura," his encounters with artists and photographers like Marina Abramović and Henri Cartier Bresson, and his approach interviewing...

Listen to the episode Boyd Varty Interview Synopsis In today's episode, I speak with Boyd Varty about tracking big game in South Africa, creating a purposeful life through self discovery, and his new book A Lion Tracker's Guide to Life (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2019). "Boyd Varty is a certified Master Life Coach, author, and TED speaker. He runs retreats that merge tracking, coaching, and storytelling into experiential learning events at Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa, the sanctuary...

Listen to the episode In today's episode, I speak with Sarah Samuel about mindful travel and her new book Mindful Traveling: Journeying the World, Discovering yourself (Leaping Hare Press 2019). On top of speaking about mindful travel, we also talk about making mistakes, journaling, getting out of our comfort zones, and redefining the self during travel. Sarah's book is a quick but delightful meditation on why having an open mind when visiting the world is a worthwhile endeavor for both...

Listen to the episode In today's episode, I speak with Tim Leffel about the state of travel writing today, how travel writing has changed over the last few decades, and traveling to the world's cheapest travel destinations. In fact, Tim has recently published a new edition of his book, the World's Cheapest Destinations: 26 Countries Where Your Travel Money is Worth a Fortune (Al Centro Media, 2019). The new edition includes updated costs of the world's most popular and inexpensive travel...

Listen to the episode In today's episode, I speak with Paul Theroux about and his new book On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2019). We also speak about a variety of topics including road trips, death, immigration, NAFTA, and how Donald Trump inspired him to write his new book. In On the Plain of Snakes, Theroux documents his drive along the US-Mexican frontier, down into the heart of Mexico City, and throughout Oaxaca where he encounters migrants, corrupt...

Listen to the episode In today's short episode, I speak with Matt Kepnes about his writing career, the various difficulties of life on the road, and about his experiences traveling around the world for the last ten years. We also talk about blogging and his new book, Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler's Journey Home (St. Martin's Press 2019). Matt is the influential blogger behind NomadicMatt.com, and the New York Times Bestselling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. His new book, Ten...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Monisha Rajesh about slow travel, trains, and her experiences as a woman of color on the road. We also talk about travel writing and her new book, Around the World in 80 Trains (Bloomsbury 2019). Monisha is a British journalist and travel writer. She has written for publications like The Guardian, The Times, The New York Times, and TIME. In 2010, she traveled around India on trains during a 4-month span, which she reflected on in her first...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Professor Lynn Meskell about the history, politics, and future of the UNESCO World Heritage Program. We also talk about her new book, A Future in Ruins: UNESCO, World Heritage, and the Dream of Peace (Oxford 2018). Dr. Meskell is Professor Archaeology at Stanford University. She has a long list of accolades and research experience in the field of archaeology. He has received honorary doctorates and is widely published. Her book, while...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Pico Iyer about travel, narrative structures, living in Japan, and of course his new book Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells. Alongside those like Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer is one of the greatest living travel writers. He is the celebrated author of many books including Video Nights in Kathmandu, The Lady and the Monk, The Art of Stillness, and many, many others. This year (2019), Pico Iyer is publishing several books, one of which is...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Dianne Hales about her new book La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World. She is the author of La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World’s Most Enchanting Language, a New York Times best-seller, and Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, an Amazon best book of the year and translated into six languages. From her website: Following publication of the New York Times-bestselling La Bella Lingua, the President of Italy awarded Dianne the...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Susan Lewis Solomont about her new book, Lost and Found in Spain: Tales of an Ambassador’s Wife. Susan has more than 30 years of experience providing strategic philanthropic counsel to private foundations. From 2010 to 2013, she served alongside her husband, Alan Solomont, in Madrid, Spain, where he was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra under President Barack Obama. Her new book was published on March 26. From her website:...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Caroline Van Hemert about her new book The Sun is a Compass: a 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds. From her website: Caroline's journeys, both personal and professional, have taken her from the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean to the swamps of the Okavango Delta. Along the way, she has been outsmarted by Cheeto-eating crows, stalked by predatory bears, charged by elephants, and humbled by 10-gram chickadees that shiver through winter...

Listen to the episode In this episode, I speak with Seth Kugel about his new book Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious. Seth is the former "Frugal Traveler" columnist for the NY Times and the host of the popular YouTube channel Amigo Gringo. Connect with Seth Kugel Seth's Personal WebsiteSeth's Book, Rediscovering TravelSeth's InstagramSeth's YouTube Channel .ugb-c6b3b7f .ugb-block-content{justify-content:center}.ugb-c6b3b7f...

I speak with Katherine Parker-Magyar about travel writing and her philosophy on travel.