Travel Writing: ‘Almost as Over-Romanticized as Bacon’
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 04.10.12 | 11:08 AM ET
Every spring I teach a travel writing class at New York University. Within the first five minutes of the first class, I tell my students the bubble-bursting secret: that being a travel writer is almost as over-romanticized as bacon, Brooklyn and Italy. Not that I’m necessarily complaining. Sometimes on the road, we can experience glimpses of a decadent life of Hemingwayan proportions, but when we get back home, the cash-strapped reality sinks in as quickly as it takes to boil a packet of Top Ramen. Travel we most certainly do; money we most certainly do not make.
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Conexus Internation 04.10.12 | 12:19 PM ET
Very good points! Thank you for sharing!
GypsyGirl 04.11.12 | 1:49 AM ET
The experience of traveling—even if never written down, or published—is priceless. After several years of meeting travel writers, and a decade of traveling myself; I’m eating bacon and enjoying y’alls adventures. Keep those stories coming, Farley!
flights to delhi 04.11.12 | 2:18 AM ET
This one is great…
Jackie Smith 04.11.12 | 10:07 AM ET
You’ve nailed it!
Murissa 04.11.12 | 2:39 PM ET
I’ve become disenchanted with travel writing as a genre. Many women tend to write stories that feel like self-help books after their divorce. Of course these are the mainstream books that appeal to the vast majority of the population. It boggles my mind that these are the people who are making money.
Where are the grittier more truthful stories of travel!? I’d love to hear some of your suggestions!
I have only found one example which is Karen Conelly so far.
Well said though! Makes me glad that I studied general creative writing and have travel writing as a side interest that I will eventually tackle.
Writing Agency 04.12.12 | 1:44 AM ET
Travel writing is always brings lots of excitement and fun to the writer. Because one has to apply his own experience into writing to produce quality writing.
India tour 04.16.12 | 6:22 AM ET
Of-course, If you visit any tour in whole world its romantic much more then Bacon but its depend on your self, which kind of people are you. thanks to share with us .
4 star hotel dublin 04.17.12 | 7:19 AM ET
You cal also teach them about how and where to spend holidays during there vacations in the spring. You can tell them about the hotels and their services.
Kessa 04.17.12 | 9:42 PM ET
Bacon is NOT overrated!
Personal Development 04.26.12 | 6:46 AM ET
Now I am ready to do my breakfast, when having my breakfast
coming yet again to read further news.
DEK 04.30.12 | 7:04 AM ET
Travel writers self-romanticize shamelessly. It is part of the social compact: in exchange for undertaking the bother of going someplace they are entitled to tell extravagant tales about it when they get back.
And it is impossible to over-romanticize Italy.
Chris Chinniah 05.28.12 | 2:40 AM ET
Everybody looks at travel writers in envy, but it takes one to know that they have their fair share of problems, headaches, and misfortunes as anyone else doing other things in life. Every job comes with its ups and downs.
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