Travel writing is a hybrid genre, combining reporting, recollections, reflections and of course travel tips. Sometimes it’s more one than the other, but a good travel bit will activate your imagination.

“One of the miracles of travel writing is to constantly be reminded of how much we don’t know.” – Doug Bock Clark

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Doug discuss how travel writing is defined, and what purposes it serves in the twenty-first century (3:30), the boundaries of travel writing, the nuanced task of trying to humanize people in a travel story, and the future of the form (19:00). Then, Rolf reads his essay, &#34;Why Travel Writing Matters&#34; from the Fall 2017 issue of The Chattahoochee Review (29:00).

<a href="http://www.dougbockclark.com/">Doug Bock Clark</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/dougbockclark">&#64;DougBockClark</a>) is a GQ correspondent and a contributor for the website of The New Yorker. His first book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3ifYzL1">The Last Whalers</a>, was a New York Times Notable Book for 2019. He also produced the feature documentary Assassins, which premiered at Sundance in January 2020 and was inspired by one of his investigations.

Notable Links:
<li><a href="https://www.gq.com/story/john-chau-missionary-and-uncontacted-tribe">The Missionary and the Uncontacted Tribe</a>, by Doug Bock Clark (article)</li><li><a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/myanmar-irrawaddy-river-journey/">Down Myanmar’s Sacred Irrawaddy River</a>, by Doug Bock Clark (article)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Beautiful-Forevers-Mumbai-Undercity/dp/081297932X">Behind the Beautiful Forevers</a>, by Katherine Boo (book)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hessler">Peter Hessler</a> (writer)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/storming-the-beach/">Storming “The Beach”</a>, by Rolf Potts (essay)</li><li><a href="http://Making%20sense%20of%20The%20Beach,%2020%20years%20later">Making sense of The Beach, 20 years later</a> (podcast episode)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-Didnt-There-Revelations/dp/1932361618">Marco Polo Didn’t Go There</a>, by Rolf Potts (book)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Rubruck">William of Rubruck</a> (explorer)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberut">Siberut</a> (island in Indonesia)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_Islands">Andaman Islands</a> (archipelago in the Bay of Bengal)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Qian">Zhang Qian</a> (2nd century BC Chinese envoy)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histories_%28Herodotus%29">The Histories</a>, by Herodotus (ancient travel narrative)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orhan_Pamuk">Orhan Pamuk</a> (Turkish author)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/travel-writing-matters/">Why Travel Writing Matters</a>, by Rolf Potts (essay)</li>
This episode of Deviate is brought to you by<a href="https://santafeworkshops.com/"> Santa Fe Writing Workshop</a>, the leading experiential photographic workshop and writers lab in the US. Offering world-renowned professional photographers and Pulitzer Prize winning writers both in the U.S. and abroad, its reputation has been built upon a foundation of creativity and community for individuals of all levels. Prioritizing inspiration and openness to new ideas as much as it does craft, the Santa Fe Writing Workshop establishes itself as an enclave of creativity and education. 

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album <a href="https://cedarsvt.bandcamp.com/album/lumber">Lu</a><a href="https://cedarsvt.bandcamp.com/album/lumber">mber</a>.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate&#64;rolfpotts.com.

Bonus: Unpacking the mission of travel-writing in the 21st century

In this special collaborative episode, I chat with Jeremy Bassetti of the Travel Writing World Podcast. We talk about our most memorable and influential travel reads, what&#39;s important about travel literature and why we enjoy it. (So many reasons!)
We also compare our podcast experiences, including talking about writers we&#39;ve enjoyed talking to (spoiler: we only say nice things!).
And of course, readers like us are very often also writers, so we chat about the future of the travel genre and our own experiences of writing books, and some of our hopes for the future of the industry.
Links:
<li>Travel Writing World - <a href="https://www.travelwritingworld.com/">https://www.travelwritingworld.com/</a> </li><li>Info about the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club - <a href="https://www.notaballerina.com/thoughtful-travellers-book-club">https://www.notaballerina.com/bookclub</a></li><li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a> </li><li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li><li>The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell - <a href="https://amzn.to/3a0oBwD">https://amzn.to/3a0oBwD</a></li><li>Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh - <a href="https://amzn.to/2Rvqlrw">https://amzn.to/2Rvqlrw</a></li><li>All the Way to the Tigers by Mary Morris - <a href="https://amzn.to/3cfiEzY">https://amzn.to/3cfiEzY</a></li><li>A Beginner&#39;s Guide to Japan by Pico Iyer - <a href="https://amzn.to/3oXYz5y">https://amzn.to/3oXYz5y</a></li><li>Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane - <a href="https://amzn.to/3BfmTFW">https://amzn.to/3BfmTFW</a> </li><li>Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer - <a href="https://amzn.to/3A0DDPZ">https://amzn.to/3A0DDPZ</a> </li><li>Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul by Taran Khan - <a href="https://amzn.to/3B4oyhK">https://amzn.to/3B4oyhK</a> </li><li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/257">https://notaballerina.com/257</a></li>
 
NotABallerina.com is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program linked to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may get compensated at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

257 Travel Writing World x The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Joining me today is Tharik Hussain. We’re talking about his debut book, Minarets in the…
The post <a href="https://www.travelwritingworld.com/minarets-in-the-mountains-tharik-hussain/">Minarets in the Mountains with Tharik Hussain</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.travelwritingworld.com">Travel Writing World</a>.

Minarets in the Mountains with Tharik Hussain

It seems that the number of people who love to travel AND who love to read makes up quite a high proportion of my listeners so I&#39;m excited that Episode 153 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast can be all about reading books to inspire travel.
I&#39;m constantly reading books because they&#39;re set somewhere I&#39;m about to visit, or alternatively I&#39;ve booked a number of trips because of places I&#39;ve read about in books! For me, they are completely intertwined - and the guests on this episode seem to feel the same way.
First up I chat with Kendall Simmons who is a voracious reader of all kinds of books and believes that reading before you travel somewhere really enriches your understanding of a place. 
Next I talk to Lesley West who is an even more voracious reader and is very devoted to reading books set in a destination before she travels there. (A woman after my own heart!)
Finally, Alastair Humphreys and I talk about how reading books about people&#39;s travel experiences can actually give you an experience and perspective it&#39;s impossible for you to get otherwise, and we also talk about some of the travel books he&#39;s written and how knowing his travel experiences will become a book can influence his experience.
Links:
<li>Kendall Simmon’s site <a href="https://www.kendallsimmons.com/">https://www.kendallsimmons.com/</a> </li><li>Lesley West of Better Link business consultancy - <a href="https://betterlinkgroup.edu.au/">https://betterlinkgroup.edu.au/</a>  </li><li>Alastair Humphreys - <a href="https://www.alastairhumphreys.com/">https://www.alastairhumphreys.com/</a> </li><li>Alastair’s new book My Midsummer Morning - https://amzn.to/2JWNjDe</li><li>Join our Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li><li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/153">https://notaballerina.com/153</a></li>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

153 Reading Books to Inspire Travel

Author J. Maarten Troost recounts his journeys sailing the South Pacific in the wake of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the contentment and sobriety he found along the way. Then Harvard professor David Damrosch describes the globe-spanning route he charted during the pandemic...via some of the world&#39;s most eye-opening works of literature, both classic and contemporary — and recommends some of his favorites. Plus a Welsh historian and guide gives us a good peek at the magical landscapes and attractions of his homeland.
 For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

667 R. L. Stevenson South Seas; Around the World in 80 Books; Why Wales

&#34;Earnest, hard-won failure can teach you as much as anything.&#34; – Rolf Potts

Note: For information on the Paris-based Travel Memoir classes Rolf is offering to Deviate listeners in 2021, inquire at deviate&#64;rolfpotts.com, or via the online forms at the <a href="https://pariswritingworkshops.com/">Paris Writing Workshops</a> website.

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Jeremy discuss breaking into travel writing and learning through failure (4:00); what defines travel memoir, and how it&#39;s different from other kinds of travel writing (11:00); the role of research in travel writing, and the balance between personal expression and reportage (17:00); the travel writing industry, and what topics are covered in Rolf&#39;s Paris Writing Workshop (25:00); and how “flaneuring” in place like Paris can lend a new perspective on place (37:00).

Jeremy Bassetti (<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremybassetti?lang&#61;en">&#64;jeremybassetti</a>) is a writer, editor, educator, and host of the<a href="https://www.travelwritingworld.com/category/travel-writing-world-podcast/"> Travel Writing World Podcast</a>. His website,<a href="http://www.travelwritingworld.com/"> travelwritingworld.com</a>, features interviews with travel writers, book reviews, author profiles, and resources for travel writers and their readers. For more about Jeremy, check out<a href="http://jeremybassetti.com/"> jeremybassetti.com</a>.

Notable Links:
<li>
<li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/storming-the-beach/">Storming the Beach</a>, by Rolf Potts (essay)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/podcast/van-life-before-vanlife/">Van Life before #VanLife</a> (Deviate episode)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Whalers-Pacific-Courageous-Vanishing/dp/0316390623">The Last Whalers</a>, by Doug Bock Clark (book)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/podcast/last-subsistence-hunters/">Deviate interview with Doug Bock Clark</a> (podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Everything-Indonesia/dp/0143038419">Eat, Pray, Love</a>, by Elizabeth Gilbert (book)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Plain-Snakes-Mexican-Journey-ebook/dp/B07LC9F6ZY">On the Plain of Snakes</a>, by Paul Theroux (book)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/podcast/paul-theroux-on-mexico/">Deviate interview with Paul Theroux</a> (podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Braver-Than-You-Think-Lifetime/dp/1640092927">Braver Than You Think</a>, by Maggie Downs (book)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/podcast/maggie-downs/">Deviate interview with Maggie Downs</a> (podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Away-Awakening-Journal-Writing-Travelers/dp/1932361677">Writing Away</a>, by Lavinia Spalding (book)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/podcast/travel-journal/">Deviate interview with Lavinia Spalding</a> (podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drunk-China-Baijiu-Drinking-Culture/dp/1640120971">Drunk in China</a>, by Derek Sandhaus (book)</li><li><a href="https://rolfpotts.com/podcast/drunk-in-china/">Deviate interview with Derek Sandhaus</a> (podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Painter-Modern-Other-Essays-Letters/dp/0714833657">The Painter of Modern Life</a>, by Charles Baudelaire (essay collection)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography">Psychogeography</a> (urban exploration strategy)</li>
</li>
This episode of Deviate is brought to you by<a href="http://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt&#61;cl&amp;merchant_id&#61;5fe78bbf-2c60-40d1-9888-0f35abfe4e57&amp;website_id&#61;cf0b9575-81a8-4b70-9f19-692ca3537b78&amp;url&#61;https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tortugabackpacks.com%2Fcollections%2Ftravel-backpacks"> Tortuga Backpacks</a>, which set the standard for the best, most durable, organized, and comfortable travel backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel &#43; Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

How to write a travel memoir (and how failure is the best teacher)

There’s nothing like curling up in your favorite armchair and traveling the world via an amazing book. But what about when the shoe is on the other foot? What about the writers who must craft stories that bring these exotic cities and countries to life? How do they go about it? On this week’s mini-episode, Katy interviews Jess Walter, best-selling author of <a href="https://amzn.to/2R0tSOG">Beautiful Ruins</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/35ZnSKe">We Live in Water: Stories</a>, about how travel influences his writing, whether its Italy’s famed Cinque Terre or his own hometown of Spokane, Washington. He also explains why the memoir of Gabriel Garcia Marquez has him dreaming of a trip to Bogota, Colombia, and shares a sneak peek of his forthcoming book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2QVtUHt">The Cold Millions</a>. Find Jess at on <a href="https://twitter.com/&#64;1JessWalter">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JessWalterAuthor/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/JessWalterBooks/">Instagram</a>, or at his <a href="http://www.jesswalter.com">website</a>. ---------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an <a href="mailto:bittersweetlife&#64;mail.com">email</a> to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/thebittersweetlifepodcast">Patreon site</a> to find out more. DONATE: Prefer a one-time donation? Click <a href="PayPal.me/thebittersweetlife">here</a> to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our <a href="thebittersweetlife.net">website</a>.) The show needs your support to continue.  JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email <a href="mailto:bittersweetlife&#64;mail.com">here</a>. You can also connect to us through <a href="https://twitter.com/BitterSweetPod">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bittersweetlifepodcast">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebittersweetlifepodcast/">Instagram</a>. Tag <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/thebittersweetlife/">#thebittersweetlife</a> with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don&#39;t be afraid to start with <a href="http://thebittersweetlife.net/episode-1-outset">Episode 1: OUTSET</a> SUBSCRIBE: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bittersweet-life/id843351111?mt&#61;2"> Subscribe</a> to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click <a href="linktr.ee/thebittersweetlifepodcast">here</a> to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bittersweet-life/id843351111?mt&#61;2"> iTunes</a> so more listeners can find us. BOOK: Want to read Tiffany&#39;s book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more <a href="https://www.tiffany-parks.com/book/">here</a> or order on <a href="https://amzn.to/2rNYdD7">Amazon</a>. TOUR ROME: If you&#39;re traveling to Rome, don&#39;t miss the chance to <a href="https://www.tiffany-parks.com/tours/">tour the city</a> with Tiffany as your guide!

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