Travel Blog: News and Briefs
Happy Birthday, David
by Jim Benning | 09.08.04 | 11:35 PM ET
Five hundred years ago today, 23-year-old sculptor Michelangelo unveiled his masterpiece, David, in Florence, Italy. The BBC is one of many news organizations reporting on the celebrations. The first time I walked into the museum hall where David stands, I had just finished Irving Stone’s historical novel “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” which I read dutifully to ensure I would appreciate the significance of my visit. I looked up at the statue but was immediately distracted by a British tour guide in a black dress suit gesturing toward David like a game show hostess showing off a new car. Her voice dripping with pride and urgency, her arms flapping, she proclaimed to the onlookers, “I now present to you all, Michelangelo’s David.” Ten years later, I can’t think of the statue without hearing her words. I wasn’t even on her dumb tour.
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Yahoo! BuzzThe Comforts of “Honky Tonk Woman”
by Michael Yessis | 09.07.04 | 11:42 PM ET
John Flinn never feels homesick when he travels, but he does appreciate being reminded of the better parts of his home culture. In his latest column for the San Francisco Chronicle, Flinn reveals what brings him a smile on the road, including food, toilets and western pop music. “If there is anything more cringe-worthy than hearing French hip-hop, it’s watching French rappers throw down gangsta moves while wearing fashionably baggy ‘street’ clothes in French hip-hop videos,” he writes. “The Germans slick their hair back and try to play ‘50s-style American rock ‘n’ roll, but it still comes out sounding like beer-hall polka on speed.”
Interviewed: Greenwald, Hasbrouck, Leo
by Michael Yessis | 09.07.04 | 11:39 PM ET
While we were on our August hiatus, other quality media outlets posted interviews with several travel writers of interest. “Whose Panties are These?” editor Jennifer L. Leo discussed her career and philosophy with Rolf Potts, and Jeff Greenwald and Edward Hasbrouck sat for Motionsickness. The magazine’s editor Steve Wilson also profiled “Take Me With You” author Brad Newsham.
Shapiro on “Book TV” Saturday Night
by Michael Yessis | 09.04.04 | 11:45 PM ET
“A Sense of Place” author Michael Shaprio, subject of our current home page q-and-a, moderates a discussion about his book at 9:10 p.m. tonight on CSPAN2’s BookTV. Isabel Allende, Tim Cahill, Jan Morris and Jeff Greenwald fill out the panel.
Saddam Hussein: Armchair Traveler?
by Jim Benning | 07.27.04 | 10:52 PM ET
Actually, his 10-foot-by-13-foot cell may not be furnished with an armchair, but deposed Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein does have access to a number of travel books, according to an Associated Press report published today. Saddam apparently spends much of his time in solitary confinement writing poetry and reading the Quran, but he has 145 books available to him—“mostly travel and novels—donated by the Red Cross,” according to the report. There’s no word on whether he is reading the travel books. But in case he is wondering which titles to crack, I thought I would offer some suggestions.
Black Book: The Journey Issue
by Michael Yessis | 07.26.04 | 10:56 PM ET
Black Book is one of those hip, glossy magazines with thick paper and lots of photos shot in natural light. Its summer issue, designated “The Journey,” is devoted to travel. A handful of big-name writers—William T. Vollmann and DBC Pierre among them—as well as Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler spin tales from the road. The stories are short, and they’re not incredibly exciting, though if you want to know what Tyler thinks about diving the Great Barrier Reef, this could be for you. An excerpt: “My life reads like Steinbeck’s ‘Travels With Charley,’ only in the last chapter, he finds himself in Jurassic Park, dancing with a raptor.” The Black Book Web site has some story excerpts.
Hell No! They Won’t Buy Lonely Planet Guidebooks!
by Michael Yessis | 07.23.04 | 11:00 PM ET
An organization called Burma Campaign UK has called for a boycott of Lonely Planet because it believes that by promoting travel to Burma through its guidebook, the publisher indirectly supports the nation’s dictatorship. Lonely Planet answered the charges in a recent issue of the Guardian. “Lonely Planet supports the aims of Burma Campaign UK,” says Andy Riddle, sales and marketing director for Lonely Planet Publications Europe. “This is a disagreement about tactics, not objectives. We provide objective information to travellers so they can make informed decisions about the complex issue of whether to travel to Burma, including explicit condemnation of the abominable regime. We show people who decide to visit the country how they can travel responsibly.”
The Northwest Airlines Flight That Has Become an Internet Phenomenon
by Jim Benning | 07.21.04 | 11:02 PM ET
Annie Jacobsen’s story about the cross-country flight that inspired terrorism fears (see “How Safe Are the Skies?” below) has turned out to be as polarizing as a Linda Ronstadt concert, provoking one of two responses: Either Jacobsen is a paranoid racist, or she’s a concerned traveler pointing out widely ignored problems with airport security. The story has taken on a life of its own on the Internet, inspiring countless links and commentary (including several thoughtful comments to our first weblog item).
One Thousand Places You Wish You Could See If You Weren’t Working So Damn Hard
by Jim Benning | 07.19.04 | 11:05 PM ET
It’s a curious quirk of the publishing business and Americans’ book buying tastes that the one travel book shooting up bestseller lists at the moment is 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. It’s now number four on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller list.
Is it not ironic that this book, of all travel books, is such a big hit in the U.S.? According to Sunday’s San Diego Union-Tribune, Americans work so hard that the average vacation is just a few days, and one in seven Americans doesn’t even take a vacation. While most Germans get six weeks off a year, most Americans get two measly weeks. So why are Americans snapping up this book when they won’t have time to see a fraction of the places featured in it? You’d think they’d want to read a good travel narrative instead—say, one of Paul Theroux’s or Bill Bryson’s latest—to at least travel vicariously. But then again, most Americans work so hard that, after they’ve come home, made dinner and tucked in the kids, they’re understandably too tired to read at length. And unless they aren’t doing anything but reading on their three-day vacation, they probably won’t have time to finish a book then, either.
Which brings us back to “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” Because it features descriptions of 1,000 places, the book can be read in short bursts. That means if you’re a good multi-tasker, you can probably read all about one of the must-see places between meetings at work, while you’re busy not accruing the vacation time you’d need to see the place you’re reading about. For those looking for a more realistic list, in a column in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times, Arthur Frommer proposes 50 places to see. “[One thousand] places to see before you die?” he writes. “Give me a break.”
I think seeing 1,000 places is a great idea. I’m sure most Americans do, too. But sadly, reading about them is all most will have time for.
Ian Buruma on Book TV
by Jim Benning | 07.16.04 | 11:08 PM ET
The occasional travel writer, whose latest book is “Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of its Enemies,” appears on C-SPAN2’s Book TV in the U.S. this weekend. I loved Buruma’s “God’s Dust,” an entertaining, analytical account of his travels in Asia.
How Safe Are the Skies?
by Jim Benning | 07.16.04 | 11:07 PM ET
Not very, according to writer Annie Jacobsen. She recently flew from Detroit to Los Angeles with Northwest Airlines. Also on board the flight were 14 Middle Eastern men she thought were behaving suspiciously and an anxious flight staff. Her account of the journey and what she learned later, published on WomensWallStreet.com, is both riveting and troubling. “What I experienced during that flight has caused me to question whether the United States of America can realistically uphold the civil liberties of every individual, even non-citizens, and protect its citizens from terrorist threats,” she writes.
Groan-Inducing Travel-Related Headline of the Week
by Michael Yessis | 07.16.04 | 12:55 AM ET
From the Onion, of course: “Copies of ‘Da Vinci Code’ Litter Crash Site.” Don’t miss the photo on the home page.
Nicholas Sparks, Travel Writer
by Michael Yessis | 07.16.04 | 12:54 AM ET
Best-selling writer Nicholas Sparks, author of syrupy novels like “Message in a Bottle” and “The Notebook,” turns to travel for his latest book, a non-fiction narrative called “Three Weeks with My Brother.” It’s apparently touchy-feely in the same way his other books are—the siblings are the last two surviving members of their family, and they use a three-week around-the-world trip to reconnect. They’re also listed as co-authors. Is the book any good? People are buying it, but reviews seem mixed. The Library Journal, for instance, said: “The travel chapters are disappointing at best ... However, Sparks’s legion of readers will undoubtedly find the details of his personal life appealing, and there is certain to be strong interest in this title.”
Airports Get Their Pop Culture Close-Up
by Michael Yessis | 07.15.04 | 12:57 AM ET
U.S. television shows and movies are increasingly being set in airports. See: “The Terminal,” “Airport,” and the upcoming series, “LAX.” In a post-9/11 world, the question is: Why? John Leland explored the phenomenon in Sunday’s New York Times, quoting the usual suspects, like Pico Iyer, and getting some keen cultural insight from the likes of Karal Ann Marling, a professor of popular culture at the University of Minnesota. “[Steven] Spielberg did something very smart in ‘The Terminal’ to emphasize that the airport is one giant shopping mall,” Professor Marling tells Leland. “It’s a dodge game we play with ourselves to pretend airports aren’t airports. In that shopping world, it’s obvious that the management is going to take great care of you and nothing evil can happen to you. It distracts travelers from the possibility that they will meet bin Laden on the next flight. How can you be afraid when there’s a Gap next to you?”
World Hum: Not Just for the Ladies
by Jim Benning | 07.14.04 | 12:58 AM ET
We’re delighted to learn that Men’s Journal named World Hum one of the 100 best Web sites for guys in its August issue. “We love the attitude of this online travel magazine,” Men’s Journal wrote. The list covers a wide array of sites, on topics ranging from car buying to movies. World Hum was featured in the adventure category, along with LonelyPlanet.com, Planeta.com and Bigskyfishing.com. Many thanks for including us.
