Features

Back to The Beach: A Lost Interview with Alex Garland

Twenty years ago, Frank Bures chatted with a young Alex Garland about his travel novel, The Beach. Bures recently unearthed the interview--a time capsule from the dawn of global backpacking.

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A Sort of Homecoming

Ivana Waz left Serbia for America when she was 14. She returned to her homeland with her son to answer the question: Was she more Serbian or American?

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How Korean Karaoke Changed My Life

How Korean Karaoke Changed My Life la_minai via Flickr, cropped, (CC)

After being turned away from the school choir, Lavinia Spalding lost her love of public singing. Then she moved to South Korea.

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Riding the Slot

As she struggled to make sense of her father's final days, Lenore Greiner sailed across a treacherous patch of San Francisco Bay

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Road Trip to the Spiritual Assembly

Road Trip to the Spiritual Assembly (Nancy Davis Kho)

When her Aunt Noonie needed company on an annual pilgrimage, Nancy Davis Kho tagged along. Just how "woo-woo" would things get?

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The Intricate Weave

The Intricate Weave Cropped photo by Jason Hollinger via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Don George was in Cremona, Italy, and grieving the loss of his father, when he heard the violin soar

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War Story

Could a trip to the old battlefields of Europe with his veteran father work a little magic on their relationship? Jim Benning hoped so.

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Walking Off Writer’s Burnout

Walking Off Writer’s Burnout (Photo: Jeff Biggers)

Jeff Biggers hadn't written anything original in months. The joy was gone. Then he and a friend went for a stroll in Bologna.

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The Accidental Hitchhiker

The Accidental Hitchhiker (Celeste Brash)

In Samoa, Celeste Brash gave a ride to a man she didn't know. Their encounter will stay with her forever.

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How a Taxi Ride Changed a Writer’s Life

How a Taxi Ride Changed a Writer’s Life Photo by Rumen Milkow

Layne Mosler's memoir, "Driving Hungry," chronicles her cab-centric quest for great meals and experiences. Jim Benning asks about it.

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A Not-So-Literary Tour of South-Central Mexico

Taxco, Mexio Photo: Angeloux via Flickr, (Creative Commons)

Peter Ferry made the trip based on a story he'd heard about Hemingway's Lady Brett Ashley, but in Taxco, nothing was quite what it seemed.

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Call Your Mother. Seriously.

Call Your Mother. Seriously. (Abbie Kozolchyk)

Abbie Kozolchyk visits a most unusual theme park in Singapore

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Cuba, Undistilled

Cuba, Undistilled (Chris Ryan)

Tired of hearing pundits pontificating about Cuba, Chris Ryan wanted to see the island for himself -- before the coming of Best Western and American Express

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Birth of a Birder

Birth of a Birder Photo by Eva Holland

Eva Holland never got too excited about birds. But then she found herself gazing up at the sky in the Galapagos.

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Why I Travel: My #YesAllWomen

Amy Gigi Alexander Amy Gigi Alexander

After she was raped, Amy Gigi Alexander couldn't even leave the house. Now, she travels the world solo. Here's why.

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