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A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration
In A Sense of Place, journalist/travel writer Michael Shapiro goes on a pilgrimage to visit the world's great travel writers on their home turf to get their views on their careers, the writer's craft, and most importantly, why they chose to live where they do and what that place means to them. The book chronicles a young writer’s conversations with his heroes, writers he's read for years who inspired him both to pack his bags to travel and to pick up a pen and write. Michael skillfully coaxes a collective portrait through his interviews, allowing the authors to speak intimately about the writer's life, and how place influences their work and perceptions.
In each chapter Michael sets the scene by describing the writer's surroundings, placing the reader squarely in the locale, whether it be Simon Winchester's Massachusetts, Redmond O'Hanlon's London, or Frances Mayes's Tuscany. He then lets the writer speak about life and the world, and through quiet probing draws out fascinating commentary from these remarkable people. For Michael it’s a dream come true, to meet his mentors; for readers, it's an engaging window onto the twin landscapes of great travel writers and the world in which they live.
In each chapter Michael sets the scene by describing the writer's surroundings, placing the reader squarely in the locale, whether it be Simon Winchester's Massachusetts, Redmond O'Hanlon's London, or Frances Mayes's Tuscany. He then lets the writer speak about life and the world, and through quiet probing draws out fascinating commentary from these remarkable people. For Michael it’s a dream come true, to meet his mentors; for readers, it's an engaging window onto the twin landscapes of great travel writers and the world in which they live.
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2004
22 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Michael Shapiro
119 books3 followersMichael Shapiro writes about travel, the performing arts, and environmental issues for magazines and newspapers. A former staff reporter and editor at newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, he’s the author of The Creative Spark, a collection of interviews with many of the world’s most creative people, and A Sense of Place, featuring conversations with leading travel writers. His stories appear in National Geographic, AFAR, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 12, 2017
This is a great writing book, period. It's not just for travel writers. One for the keeper shelf.
March 30, 2008
This is a good book where Shapiro interviews some of the most intrepid travellers of the modern day. It has interviews with the pioneers of independent travel like Arthur Frommer, adventurers like Tim Cahill and Redmond O'Hanlon, scholars like Paul Theroux and Jan Morris and people like Pico Iyer who have lived in so many different cultures.
I was pleased to see that many of the experts like Frommer, Rick Steves and Cahill espouse the following about independent travel:
That the less you spend, it so happens that the richer are your travel experiences. They suggest that you stay in campgrounds, hostels and eat in cheaper places to get a real feel for the places you go to. Travel is not about monuments and nature alone. It is more about the people you see and meet in far-off lands and the experience of being amongst them. Some othet snippets of interest:
Brad Newsham has started the concept of the Backpack Nation. He believes in funding 100 backpackers everyday of the year with $20000 to spend. Because he believes travel is a much better way for us to be compassionate towards one another than any other. He writes:"To deploy 100 backpackers every day for a year and to fund each one with $20,000 will cost $730 million. That may sound like a lot of money, but when considered in its proper context $730 million is mere peanut shells -- it computes to roughly $2.50 per American per year. The U.S. Defense Department currently spends more than $1 billion every day, more than $400 billion every year -- roughly $1,300 per American -- and never has the populace felt so threatened, so vulnerable, so poorly defended. The correct question isn't Can we afford to do this? but Can we afford not to? "
Paul Theroux believes that travelling alone is the real way to travel.
It was interetsing to see that Sara Wheeler's famous travelogue on Chile actually had fictitious characters! She puts it nicely by saying , 'I am after the truth, not facts!'.It was a true account, but only mostly!
Isabel Allende thinks that there is no fun in travel without room service!
Overall, it is a book worth reading. It is bound to increase one's interest in all these authors.
I was pleased to see that many of the experts like Frommer, Rick Steves and Cahill espouse the following about independent travel:
That the less you spend, it so happens that the richer are your travel experiences. They suggest that you stay in campgrounds, hostels and eat in cheaper places to get a real feel for the places you go to. Travel is not about monuments and nature alone. It is more about the people you see and meet in far-off lands and the experience of being amongst them. Some othet snippets of interest:
Brad Newsham has started the concept of the Backpack Nation. He believes in funding 100 backpackers everyday of the year with $20000 to spend. Because he believes travel is a much better way for us to be compassionate towards one another than any other. He writes:"To deploy 100 backpackers every day for a year and to fund each one with $20,000 will cost $730 million. That may sound like a lot of money, but when considered in its proper context $730 million is mere peanut shells -- it computes to roughly $2.50 per American per year. The U.S. Defense Department currently spends more than $1 billion every day, more than $400 billion every year -- roughly $1,300 per American -- and never has the populace felt so threatened, so vulnerable, so poorly defended. The correct question isn't Can we afford to do this? but Can we afford not to? "
Paul Theroux believes that travelling alone is the real way to travel.
It was interetsing to see that Sara Wheeler's famous travelogue on Chile actually had fictitious characters! She puts it nicely by saying , 'I am after the truth, not facts!'.It was a true account, but only mostly!
Isabel Allende thinks that there is no fun in travel without room service!
Overall, it is a book worth reading. It is bound to increase one's interest in all these authors.
August 19, 2025
Great collection of interviews with Travel and Exploration writers. I have read some of them and now have more on my TBR list.
February 25, 2016
Imagine sitting down with some of your favourite travel writers and talking about the way they work, their favourite places in the world, their scariest experiences, their most inspired moments and the most unforgettable people they’ve met on their travels?
In this book Michael Shapiro gets to do that with some international superstars of the genre – the likes of Bill Bryson, Tim Cahill, Pico Iyer, Peter Matthiessen, Jan Morris, Eric Newby and Simon Winchester to name a few.
Presented as a series of conversational interviews, each chapter introduces us to the people behind some of the best travel writing ever published. In talking about their work and their travels, the interviewees tell us much about themselves; what they love or loathe about places they’ve visited, and those they live in, and how they go about their writing.
There are adventures in Borneo, the Amazon, the Congo and on a fishing trawler in the high seas (and that’s just Redmond O’Hanlon’s books!) There are discussions on politics in post 9/11 America and the long memories of the Palestinians in the Middle East as encountered by Jonathan Raban.
By reading Shapiro’s interviews I gained much clearer understanding of what makes these great writers tick - as writers and travellers. There is no single formula they all follow, no style of travel they all prefer. Some journey with a companion or in an expedition, while others find solo travel the only way they can reach out and meet new people and experience new places sufficiently to write about them afterwards.
They are as unique ‘in person’ as are their narrative voices in the books and articles which have earned them their credentials. For anyone aspiring to the profession of travel writing, there is a lot to be learned from the people who fill the pages of ‘A Sense of Place’.
For they have truly ‘been there, done that’ and lived to write about it.
In this book Michael Shapiro gets to do that with some international superstars of the genre – the likes of Bill Bryson, Tim Cahill, Pico Iyer, Peter Matthiessen, Jan Morris, Eric Newby and Simon Winchester to name a few.
Presented as a series of conversational interviews, each chapter introduces us to the people behind some of the best travel writing ever published. In talking about their work and their travels, the interviewees tell us much about themselves; what they love or loathe about places they’ve visited, and those they live in, and how they go about their writing.
There are adventures in Borneo, the Amazon, the Congo and on a fishing trawler in the high seas (and that’s just Redmond O’Hanlon’s books!) There are discussions on politics in post 9/11 America and the long memories of the Palestinians in the Middle East as encountered by Jonathan Raban.
By reading Shapiro’s interviews I gained much clearer understanding of what makes these great writers tick - as writers and travellers. There is no single formula they all follow, no style of travel they all prefer. Some journey with a companion or in an expedition, while others find solo travel the only way they can reach out and meet new people and experience new places sufficiently to write about them afterwards.
They are as unique ‘in person’ as are their narrative voices in the books and articles which have earned them their credentials. For anyone aspiring to the profession of travel writing, there is a lot to be learned from the people who fill the pages of ‘A Sense of Place’.
For they have truly ‘been there, done that’ and lived to write about it.
July 25, 2017
I'm a travelholic. I admit it and embrace it whole-heartedly.
After getting back from a month long trip from Australia with my family, I was in the mood to read a book where travel writers were interviewed about their craft. I was not disappointed in picking up this book; it satisfied just the right itch I had at the time to learn more about people who are able to travel as part of their job.
It was amazing to me how many of the writers' observations about travel and life echoed each other. Each writer had been permanently changed and shaped by living a life that explores other cultures and places.
One of the biggest takeaways of the book for me is to not go into travel with any preconceived notions about what it will be like but to soak up the experience with fresh eyes every time. I also learned that the best way to write about travel is to let the travel itself become a character in your story instead of a dry recitation of facts.
I'd highly recommend reading this if you are curious about the life of a travel writer or if you enjoy hearing other people talk about travel.
*4.5 stars
After getting back from a month long trip from Australia with my family, I was in the mood to read a book where travel writers were interviewed about their craft. I was not disappointed in picking up this book; it satisfied just the right itch I had at the time to learn more about people who are able to travel as part of their job.
It was amazing to me how many of the writers' observations about travel and life echoed each other. Each writer had been permanently changed and shaped by living a life that explores other cultures and places.
One of the biggest takeaways of the book for me is to not go into travel with any preconceived notions about what it will be like but to soak up the experience with fresh eyes every time. I also learned that the best way to write about travel is to let the travel itself become a character in your story instead of a dry recitation of facts.
I'd highly recommend reading this if you are curious about the life of a travel writer or if you enjoy hearing other people talk about travel.
*4.5 stars
November 9, 2025
As someone who values travel as a human activity that fosters curiosity, creativity and human connection, this book immediately resonated with me! It is a pleasure to be in the company of Great Writers, not only speaking about travel, but sharing their vibrant lives and craft. You may well end up as I did, with a list of seminal books that the interviewed writers have written.
Travel indeed allows a soul to be carried out of familiar territory and into possibilities of understanding ambiguities of our human species witnessing scenes, landscapes, history, whether of crusades, wars, love stories, faith, miracles. Another metaphor for travel could be an amazing banquet to which one has been invited, where all the treasures of the earth are present, not just in the goblets and gold and fine linen on the table and the story of the mines and crafts that made them, but in all the variety of edibles this planet provides, and the amazing creativity of different cultures to prepare them. The message that a traveler's responsibility to the human family, to share experiences so that more people can understand the complexity of decisions behind borders and empires is more than convincingly portrayed.
The book is organized with catchy titles for each of 18 interviews, such as "Yearning for the Sun", (Frances Mayes, and the translation of Bramasole, her home in Tuscany); "At Home with the Spirits" (Isabel Allende); "Dark Star Shining" (Paul Theroux); "When Worlds Collude" (Pico Iyer); "A World of Wonders" (Simon Winchester). Perhaps my favorite interview is of Jan (formerly James) Morris who explains the Welsh term "hiraeth". Perhaps somewhat akin to the German "Sehnsucht"(wistful longing). She explains, it is ineffable longing" but it is not clear for what. It is a deep feeling, rather like a desire to return to the innocence of childhood, or a lost paradise. Travel indeed addresses such longing. Peter Matthiessen expands this idea with his Zen parables, one of which is that "we are each like a bottle of seawater in the ocean." Indeed, we desire to be part of the whole, to belong as one.
As someone who can't keep up with the amount of material I want to read, I thoroughly appreciated the well-chosen inserts of a snippet of an interview so that even if skimming, one can slow down and read a salient point.
Travel indeed allows a soul to be carried out of familiar territory and into possibilities of understanding ambiguities of our human species witnessing scenes, landscapes, history, whether of crusades, wars, love stories, faith, miracles. Another metaphor for travel could be an amazing banquet to which one has been invited, where all the treasures of the earth are present, not just in the goblets and gold and fine linen on the table and the story of the mines and crafts that made them, but in all the variety of edibles this planet provides, and the amazing creativity of different cultures to prepare them. The message that a traveler's responsibility to the human family, to share experiences so that more people can understand the complexity of decisions behind borders and empires is more than convincingly portrayed.
The book is organized with catchy titles for each of 18 interviews, such as "Yearning for the Sun", (Frances Mayes, and the translation of Bramasole, her home in Tuscany); "At Home with the Spirits" (Isabel Allende); "Dark Star Shining" (Paul Theroux); "When Worlds Collude" (Pico Iyer); "A World of Wonders" (Simon Winchester). Perhaps my favorite interview is of Jan (formerly James) Morris who explains the Welsh term "hiraeth". Perhaps somewhat akin to the German "Sehnsucht"(wistful longing). She explains, it is ineffable longing" but it is not clear for what. It is a deep feeling, rather like a desire to return to the innocence of childhood, or a lost paradise. Travel indeed addresses such longing. Peter Matthiessen expands this idea with his Zen parables, one of which is that "we are each like a bottle of seawater in the ocean." Indeed, we desire to be part of the whole, to belong as one.
As someone who can't keep up with the amount of material I want to read, I thoroughly appreciated the well-chosen inserts of a snippet of an interview so that even if skimming, one can slow down and read a salient point.
August 17, 2017
This is my second time to read this book. I read it in 2005 before I had traveled to Europe or been to all 50 states. I love the cat on the cover in a meatloaf position. It makes me miss my cat. Cats are everywhere it is true but hardly anyone travels with a cat so an odd thing for the cover of a book about travel writers. Shapiro talks to 18 travel writers in their homes. He asks all of them primarily the same questions. These interviews took place in the very early years of the 21st century under the presidency of George W. Bush. Again as I read things from the past I am taken by what was being said then about those in positions of power and what is happening now. Peter Matthiessen says of GWB: "Our president wants to grow up to be a redneck. A redneck is not somebody who is ignorant but somebody who is proud of it. How tragic to have such a person as head of the free world." It seems there is little difference between 2002 and 2017. Rick Steves says that it is easy for Americans to get dumbed down and he wants them to understand that "travel is not a shopping trip." Nearly all of these writers insist that they are telling the stories of people not the stories of a place. Pico Iyer says: "People are much wiser and more tolerant and open-minded than their governments." Jeff Greenwald adds: "It is my conviction that the vast majority of people on this planet would like to be left alone to live and work in peace, to raise their families and to exist in a generous and rational way." Brad Newsham says "They could never have cheered the death and destruction if they had known the people involved." Travel writers tell us stories about people in other places so that we can understand that we are all human and "at the end of our lives all we will have left behind is our stories." We are living more and more in a global world and having less a sense of one place and maybe that will be a good thing if we are willing to use the best from each place to create a better world.
August 22, 2021
Came out the gates loving this book, but by about 200 pages in, it started to feel redundant, and some interviews felt way too long and like it was pushing a specific political agenda, which maybe had to do with the fact that this SF-based author magically seemed to find, say 50% of the travel writers he spotlighted from the San Francisco area, or those who had a connection to the Bay Area. The book had all the heavy hitter -- Bryson, Theroux, Morris -- but then the other half of the book seemed to be culled from Shapiro's personal friendship and his home base in SF.
As a travel writer, I'll admit I found many parts of the book fascinating and there were super insightful gems of wisdom on life and travel throughout, but if you're not a writer, I think you'd tired of this book even faster. I really wanted to give this four or five stars and it was definitely worth reading, but the editing and condensing of conversations could have been much, much tighter.
As a travel writer, I'll admit I found many parts of the book fascinating and there were super insightful gems of wisdom on life and travel throughout, but if you're not a writer, I think you'd tired of this book even faster. I really wanted to give this four or five stars and it was definitely worth reading, but the editing and condensing of conversations could have been much, much tighter.
May 24, 2019
it is indeed very nice to read a little bit about the authors and to hear them speak about their lives and what inspired them.
It is a diverse list of authors, each with his or her own individual style and history. What comes through clearly, is that all of them seem to have a deep connection with the land, and this is accompanied by a sense of humility. They are courteous as well
The book does bring the authors close to us. It is a pity that we don't have this sort of book for Asian authors. I would welcome it.
It is a diverse list of authors, each with his or her own individual style and history. What comes through clearly, is that all of them seem to have a deep connection with the land, and this is accompanied by a sense of humility. They are courteous as well
The book does bring the authors close to us. It is a pity that we don't have this sort of book for Asian authors. I would welcome it.
March 26, 2020
After years in the travel writing industry, I'd gotten a little burned out on the often superficial and trend-chasing nature of it all, but a handful of books have helped rekindle my passion. A Sense of Place is one of them. I'm not sure why I didn't find it until now, but reading it in the throes of a worldwide Coronavirus panic has been the light of my crazy new sequestered life.
October 22, 2022
Before I started reading this book, I thought reading about travel writers would be pointless and boring when I could be reading their travel writing instead. How wrong I was! These stories are fascinating, and the author’s experiences meeting with and interviewing the writers are little adventures in their own right. Highly recommended.
June 27, 2025
I love this book and selected it for my book club to read together. It's like sitting down for dinner with dozens of the best travel writers and listening to them talk about their homes, their travels, and their writing.
May 1, 2022
Amazing because of the insights as told by the great writers whom Shapiro meets and interviews for this book.
February 2, 2023
Useful and various. I have a better idea of some authors to try, others to avoid.
October 2, 2023
I really enjoyred this book, lots of good reading tips and super interesting to read travel writers' stories.
August 6, 2012
I stumbled upon this book at a thrift store and what a find it was! I love travel writing. I think it's become my favorite genre because even though I am stuck neck deep in home repairs, I am still able to get out and see the world through the eyes of some incredible writers. This book is a conglomeration of several of my favorite writers, but the cool twist is that it's full of personal interviews with them.
The questions give such insight into their views on travel and how it has shaped their lives. SOme of my favorites like Bill Bryson and Frances Mayes were in there, along with others who I am really anxious to read now based on their interviews, Tim Cahill, Pico Iyer, Graham Greene...it was all so enlightening. I mean, these are people who have seen the world, the lovely parts of it and the ugliest depths of it, and what an incredible perspective they have.
I want to surround myself with people like this, whose view isn't limited to their immediate surroundings, but those who explore and inspire others to be better because of that. I don't know how many copies this book sold, I can't imagine very many, but it is a treasure for anyone who loves to read about travel.
The questions give such insight into their views on travel and how it has shaped their lives. SOme of my favorites like Bill Bryson and Frances Mayes were in there, along with others who I am really anxious to read now based on their interviews, Tim Cahill, Pico Iyer, Graham Greene...it was all so enlightening. I mean, these are people who have seen the world, the lovely parts of it and the ugliest depths of it, and what an incredible perspective they have.
I want to surround myself with people like this, whose view isn't limited to their immediate surroundings, but those who explore and inspire others to be better because of that. I don't know how many copies this book sold, I can't imagine very many, but it is a treasure for anyone who loves to read about travel.
November 3, 2009
Ever wonder what makes people take to the road for out of the box adventures? Michael Shapiro, one of our best travel writers himself, shares with us what makes people who choose a lifetime of travel over the comfy confines of home tick. From Tim Cahill, whose adventures get him into outlandish situations, to Frances Mayers who followed her “wistful dreams” to civilized Tuscany, we find out what motivates their quests. I loved learning what our best contemporary commentators have in common and what they do not. Bill Bryson of "Walk in the Woods" fame says he is just paying his mortgage with his writing, while Peter Matthiessen, famous for his search for the elusive "Snow Leopard," says that the act of writing clarifies his view of realty. Each unique interview of these authors is conducted with extreme care for their privacy as Michael asks thoughtful, informed questions. A Sense of Place is insightful, fun and a must read for anyone contemplating the outsider’s lifestyle.
Linda Ballou adventure travel writer and author of
Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii-Her Epic Journey
www.LindaBallouAuthor.com
Linda Ballou adventure travel writer and author of
Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii-Her Epic Journey
www.LindaBallouAuthor.com
May 24, 2016
Reading Challenge Category: A book at the bottom of your to-read list
I added this one to my Goodreads shelf in July 2012, putting it squarely at the oldest end of my Goodreads list. It's not that I was putting off reading it . . . it's just that so many other new books came along to steal my attention. At any rate, I finally checked A Sense of Place out of the library. It was a longer, slower read than I expected, probably because I read all the way through from start to finish without skipping a single interview, even when I had never heard of several of the featured writers. If I had it to do over I might just focus on the authors who interest me most--Frances Mayes, Isabel Allende, Rick Steves, Arthur Frommer, and Bill Bryson. Also, I was a bit put off by the overtly political commentary in almost every interview. The writers' opinions on post 9-11 Bush era politics dated a book that would otherwise be a more timeless discussion of not only the craft of writing, but what it means to be both a writer and a traveler.
I added this one to my Goodreads shelf in July 2012, putting it squarely at the oldest end of my Goodreads list. It's not that I was putting off reading it . . . it's just that so many other new books came along to steal my attention. At any rate, I finally checked A Sense of Place out of the library. It was a longer, slower read than I expected, probably because I read all the way through from start to finish without skipping a single interview, even when I had never heard of several of the featured writers. If I had it to do over I might just focus on the authors who interest me most--Frances Mayes, Isabel Allende, Rick Steves, Arthur Frommer, and Bill Bryson. Also, I was a bit put off by the overtly political commentary in almost every interview. The writers' opinions on post 9-11 Bush era politics dated a book that would otherwise be a more timeless discussion of not only the craft of writing, but what it means to be both a writer and a traveler.
April 26, 2016
Michael Shapiro's interviews with some of the world's leading writers of travel are enlightening and entertaining as he strives to gain a deeper understanding of their approach to travel, writing, and life. Most of those interviewed don't care for the adjective "travel" in describing their vocation (travel writer), and that's understandable since their writing is more than about travel -- it's about the experience, the people they meet, and what impacted them on their journeys. The writers talk about their craft as well as their observations on social, political, and environmental issues. And they discuss travel and what it means to them. Shapiro, a veteran journalist and "travel" writer, asks meaningful questions to bring out the thoughts and beliefs of his subjects. This book may be of more interest to writers or those interested in writing rather than travel, although general readers could find it fascinating to discover what attracted these writers to travel the world.
September 5, 2007
I learned travel writers resent being labeled as traveled writers because being labeled as such lumps them in with the tourism industry. Paul Thoreaux, in particular, seemed rather TETCHY about the subject. I've already decided to adopt one of three personas for when people interview me about my travel book. I will be a neck-face like Thoreaux, taking umbrage with every question, getting all huffy and shit, so the interviewer knows I've got huge hairy balls. The other persona will be like Desmond O Hanlon. That dude was seriously amiable in that Northern English Seaside Fishing Village way. The last persona I will adopt will be culled from Pico Iyer. His dispassionate, assured, measured discussions of his craft were very likeable. Still waters run deep. Plus, Pico's been doing it with a Japanese girl for the past fifteen years. In Japan. Props.
September 26, 2011
Excellent interviews with a widely varied, motley assortment of writers-- from Bill Bryson and Francis Mayes to Rick Steves, Tim Cahill, Arthur Frommer, and Pico Iyer. The various approaches to their craft make for interesting reading if you aspire to write of your own travels near or far. This book makes me want to write more personal essays--always a good thing. For extreme beginning writers or writers who are not interested in the personal lives of authors, this book might be a stretch (or a bit dull in spots). For other writers (especially essayists), a hearty recommendation. :) I found out about this book while researching for a workshop I recently gave on travel journaling; I'm glad I did. :)
June 26, 2007
The author interviews about 20 well-known travel writers including Rolf Potts, Pico Iyer, Arthur Frommer, and Rick Steves. While some embrace travel writing, others like Isabel Allende don't always like the idea of a travel writer. They each are asked personal questions and they talk about how they got into travel writing. Some stories are really funny, like those from Frommer and Bill Bryson, and others may come off a little more snobby. From cheap backpacking trips to fancy beaches and novels, it's an interesting read for any traveler or writer.
April 14, 2011
This was a gift. It came second hand right out of a friend's own shelf. She had loved it so much that she passed it on hoping to inspire me to read, write and travel. In many ways this books has shaped the way i travel and informed the stories i write on account of those adventures.
It's a collection of interviews done by Mr. Shapiro. There's a story behind his mission too and it's a beautiful one. But really, to have Jan Morris, Pico Iyer and other great travel writers speak in a volume? wow.
It's a collection of interviews done by Mr. Shapiro. There's a story behind his mission too and it's a beautiful one. But really, to have Jan Morris, Pico Iyer and other great travel writers speak in a volume? wow.
October 4, 2014
These interviews and the way Shapiro sets them up are an inspiration for any type of writing but also any type of travel. The authors, many of whom do not want to be pigeon holed as "travel writers," talk about the philosophical and emotional components of their art as the essence of good story telling, whether to describe a meal with a Belgian family or an encounter with an angry bear. Very impressive that Shapiro could get interviews with authors as celebrated as Peter Matthiessen and Isabel Allende!
July 29, 2007
Horrible, terrible pap. I'm not sure if any of the following things outweighed any of the other in tallying my 1-star rating:
- The book takes a fascinating subject and makes it the dullest, shallow, hollow "analysis" on the subject matter that I've ever read.
- Was forced to accept this book as a 'Bible' college book reference while studying at Evergreen.
- It reads like fanciful, whimsical, high-school teeny-bopper fiction.
- The book takes a fascinating subject and makes it the dullest, shallow, hollow "analysis" on the subject matter that I've ever read.
- Was forced to accept this book as a 'Bible' college book reference while studying at Evergreen.
- It reads like fanciful, whimsical, high-school teeny-bopper fiction.
Read
August 7, 2011I enjoyed this collection of interviews, particularly Pico Iyer and Jan Morris. It's a wonderful reflection on how travelling impacts you both inside and out. Also the views of the different writers about their sense of "home" was very interesting. Something I have been struggling with for a while. Not being a writer I couldn't relate to some of the dialogue (the struggle, but also the freedom of writing and that feeling of expressing yourself in the medium), but that is my loss.
April 3, 2013
Many great essays from more travel writers than I'd heard of until now. Not only was just about every essay incredibly interesting, but I now have a list of many other great writers and books I need to pursue. Travel requires one to look at the world in a new or different way and this book is the next best thing.
December 29, 2015
This was an interesting book to read ... a series of interview of "travel writers" who don't like to be called travel writers! All the interviews were recorded by the author so the books reads as questions and answers which I sometimes found a bit off-putting. But I will now add a whole lot of books to m "to read" list!
November 22, 2016
This was an interesting compilation of interviews with well-known travel writers. I enjoyed the different perspective of this diverse group of people. Some of the writers I found pompous and annoying and others incredibly endearing. But at the end, all I wanted to do was buy a ticket to somewhere. Anywhere.
January 25, 2014
Interviews with travel writers from America and Britain. Somewhat repetitive due to the nature of the topic but lovely insights about life, writing and travel. To quote from the interview with Frances Mayes: "I like when I know the person is there, and they make the world of being there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews