Travel Blog: Life of a Travel Writer
Tom Swick on the Freelance Writing Life
by Jim Benning | 06.17.09 | 3:45 PM ET
Last summer, Tom Swick was laid off from his job as travel editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Like so many newspaper editors around the nation, he fell victim to the changing tide of publishing economics—which isn’t to say he was unhappy about the move. Given his shrinking travel budget, he was relieved.
We, of course, were happy to bring him on as a columnist, and he continues to file a couple of compelling pieces for us each month. But as he writes in the Oxford American, his move to freelancing hasn’t been entirely pleasant. Take his experience with emailing stories and pitches to editors.
[T]he immediacy of e-mail rarely translates into prompt replies. Actually, it often contributes to silence, as messages get pushed down out of sight—and, subsequently, mind—by the onslaught of new ones.
[snip]
This makes life difficult for any writer, but especially for one who was recently an editor. And even more so for one who was a writer/editor. For nearly two decades, I assigned myself stories, turned them in to my unwavering approval, and then got back to myself immediately regarding publication dates. Being your own man pales in comparison to being your own editor (which, among other things, allows for the former).
If nothing else, I hope other freelance writers find some comfort in Tom’s frustrating experience—if it’s happening to him, it really is happening to the best of them.
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Yahoo! BuzzWhere in the World Are You, Alicia Imbody?
by Alicia Imbody | 06.15.09 | 3:43 PM ET
The subject of our latest up-to-the-minute interview with a traveler somewhere in the world: World Hum’s new intern, Alicia Imbody.
Where in the world are you?
R.I.P. Leila Hadley
by Michael Yessis | 02.18.09 | 9:42 AM ET
The author of Give Me the World and other travel books passed away last week. She also wrote a series of guidebooks about traveling with children.
In the New York Times obit, William Grimes writes that she earned praise for her “sharp-eyed, vivid descriptions and for the author’s enthusiasm for leaving the beaten path, wherever she was.”
In the New York Post, Liz Smith said farewell with the words: “Do not rest in peace, dear Leila, just tear things up wherever you are!”
Hadley was 83.
‘A Zen Level of Patience’: Matt Gross on Air Travel
by Rob Verger | 02.03.09 | 2:47 PM ET
When I fly, I follow a simple rule: I always ask for a window seat as far towards the front of the plane as possible. I love to stare out of the window, and I prefer the front of the plane because it’s a smoother ride (the tail bounces more) and, once the plane arrives, you get to deplane sooner.
But I was curious to find out what rules and feelings about flying another traveler might have, so I called up World Hum contributor Matt Gross, the man who writes the Frugal Traveler stories for the New York Times. We caught up while he was on assignment—on a train, to be precise—in Europe. He estimates that he’s been on about thirty flights in the past year, all of them in economy.
He told me he loved flying.
“How can you not love flying? You get on a plane somewhere. You sit down; you try and relax. I relax relatively easily. You know, four to twenty-four hours later, you’re somewhere else. It’s pretty cool. I like the anticipation of it as well. The trip has not yet been ruined,” he said, laughing. Gross laughs a lot, a good quality for a traveler to have. “Hopefully it hasn’t yet been ruined.”
“You’re about to go somewhere. You have all this time to gather your thoughts and emotions and everything and get ready for the adventure,” he added.
Travel Writers Pick the Best Travel Books of 2008
by Eva Holland | 12.05.08 | 3:41 PM ET
Let the “Best of 2008” list season begin! In the Guardian, Rory MacLean asks several writers to choose their favorite travel books of 2008. World Hum contributor Rolf Potts is among the authors polled.
Catching Up With Rolf Potts
by Jim Benning | 11.26.08 | 1:05 PM ET
World Hum columnist Rolf Potts has been busy. He recently hosted a Thanksgiving-related show for the Travel Channel called “American Pilgrim,” which aired Monday. He’s been touring in support of his new book, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There. And he was the subject of a recent Poets & Writers profile, penned by World Hum’s book editor, Frank Bures. The story just became available online and it not only offers insight into Rolf’s writing career, but it nicely describes the travel publishing landscape at the moment. Writes Bures:
R.I.P. Forbes Traveler
by Jim Benning | 11.14.08 | 4:59 PM ET
Media Bistro reports rumors that the pub is folding, and a contributor tells us an editor there confirmed it today. What a shame.
Christopher P. Baker Wins Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year
by Michael Yessis | 10.20.08 | 2:21 PM ET
Baker leads the winners of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism awards for 2008, which were handed out this weekend. Among other winners: National Geographic Adventure took the prize for best travel magazine, and the Boston Globe captured the prize for best online travel journalism site. Congratulations to the winners.
Update, 10:19 p.m. ET: The Daily Travel and Deal Blog has links to all the winners.
Related on World Hum:
* World Hum Wins Lowell Thomas Gold
Peter Matthiessen Nominated for National Book Award
by Jim Benning | 10.16.08 | 11:46 AM ET
The 81-year-old author was nominated in the fiction category for his 890-page book “Shadow Country.” But many of us know him best for his travel and outdoors writing. His classic book about Nepal, The Snow Leopard, ranked No. 11 on our list of the top 30 travel books of all time. Here’s Matthiessen talking about “Shadow Country” and his non-fiction on “Charlie Rose” earlier this year:
Stephen Fry Comes to America
by Eva Holland | 10.07.08 | 11:57 AM ET
Looks like we might have another celebrity-turned-travel-writer on our hands. British comedian Stephen Fry recently made his way to all 50 American states, and the resulting BBC mini-series (and accompanying book) lands in the U.K. this month. The American release isn’t until January, but the British papers offer a tantalizing preview of Fry’s mixture of humor and thoughtfulness.
Press Trips: ‘Too Much Noisy Fun, Too Little Job Satisfaction’
by Eva Holland | 10.02.08 | 12:49 PM ET
Usually, when travel writers criticize the press junket phenomenon, they focus on the ethical issues involved. Not so for the Telegraph’s Paul Mansfield, who takes aim at the actual substance of the typical press trip in this fun essay. “The atmosphere is like a school trip,” he writes, “competitive, cliquey, with a tendency towards booze-fuelled indiscretions and adolescent mischief.”
Theroux, Horwitz and the Frommers Featured at National Book Festival
by Michael Yessis | 09.26.08 | 10:03 AM ET
They’ll be on the Mall in Washington, D.C., tomorrow, talking travel and signing books. So will U.S. poet laureate Kay Ryan. I wonder if the organizers flew her out from California, or if this is how she decided to spend part of her $5,000 travel allowance?
Restless Legs Meets Litquake
by Michael Yessis | 09.24.08 | 4:06 PM ET
The latest installment of Restless Legs—David Farley’s “reading series for the wanderlust stricken”—takes place 6 p.m. Saturday at New York City’s Lolita Bar. Mary Morris and Ayun Halliday are the featured speakers for the event, which is also part of the first-ever New York City Litquake. Details of an upcoming World Hum-themed Restless Legs event coming soon.
Related on World Hum:
* Q&A with David Farley: The Restless Legs Reading Series
Next up for Author of ‘Banned’ Harry Potter Lexicon: A Harry Potter ‘Travel Memoir’?
by Michael Yessis | 09.16.08 | 3:49 PM ET
It, too, has drawn scrutiny from “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling. The author’s “agents have asked to see a copy of In Search of Harry Potter before it is published next month to ensure it does not breach copyright,” according to the Times of London.
Matt Gross: More Reflections on the Grand Tour
by Michael Yessis | 09.16.08 | 11:13 AM ET
The New York Times Frugal Traveler and World Hum contributor will appear in New York City twice during the next week to discuss his summer on the road in Europe, where he updated the Grand Tour for the information age. He’ll be speaking at Idlewild Books Thursday at 7 p.m., and at the New-York Historical Society next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Related on World Hum:
* Matt Gross: Looking Back on the Grand Tour
* Confessions of a Frugal Traveler
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