Vagablogging: Call for writers

Want to write for Vagablogging?

We're looking for one dedicated individual to post once or twice a week about any vagabonding-related topic of their choice, from travel gear to destinations to literature. The ideal writer will be familiar with Rolf's book Vagabonding and/or the philosophy behind it.

Though the position is unpaid, it really is a great opportunity to establish contacts and get your feet wet in the travel writing world. Several writers have moved on to paid positions after writing for Vagablogging, and now-- I can tell you from personal experience-- they're really raking in the dough.

So if you'd like to write for Vagablogging, please send two previously unpublished sample posts (200+ words each) to aaronhotfelder (at) gmail (dot) com. Also be sure to include a little bit about yourself, like where you're from, your biggest travel highlights, and anything else you think we should know.

To get an idea what we're looking for in terms of content and style, take a look at the archives. The best posts are those that are informative in nature and conversational in tone. The deadline for submitting is July 25, which is also, coincidentally enough, my last day at Vagablogging. Please don't cry.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the Comments or contact me at the above address.

We look forward to hearing from you!

A special New York Bastille Day party, featuring Napoleon's privates

Travel writer Tony Perrottet will be hosting a special Bastille Day party at Lolita Bar (226 Broome Street, between Allen and Orchard) in New York next Monday, where he will toast the the legacy of the French Revolution by unveiling a replica of Napoleon's disembodied penis.

Sound like an odd to celebrate Bastille Day? If you think so, you might want to check out Perrottet's newest book, Napoleon's Privates: 2500 Years of History Unzipped, which answers all sorts of burning historical questions, including:

• What were Casanova's best pick-up lines?
• How uncomfortable was it to wear a chastity belt?
• Will Lincoln ever be outed?
• What was the party etiquette at Caligula's orgies?
• How did Napoleon's most intimate organ end up in New Jersey?

Festivities at Lolita Bar last from 6-9 pm on July 14th. For more information on Perrottet's book, check out his author website. A teaser video for the book is online here:

New Europe hostel booking website & hostel adventure writing competition

Friends at EuroCheapo.com have extended their budget travel services and launched a new site for youth-hostel booking in Europe -- EuropeanHostels.com. A much needed feature these days if you want...
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The world joins in with Dancing Matt

I'm a huge fan of Matt from "Where The Hell Is Matt?", I've watched all his videos of him dancing around the world numerous times. Such a simple idea that...
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Being home: Clarity and bias and confusion

Some time ago I wondered whether I'd be a victim of reverse culture shock being at home in Dubai after 18 months of living and traveling in Europe. Much thanks...
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A rant about the weather

It's June and in Madrid it's still cold and rainy. For the last two months we've been having regular but very short spells of sun and chirpy birds, but the...
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Pedaling for peace: Women's Mideast Bicycle Tour

250 women from about 30 countries are pedaling across the Middle East to promote intercultural dialogue and bring back stories of love and kindness, something not much heard of in...
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Can local food be authentic if the chef is foriegn?

I think the two most important things of a place that play an enormous role in defining them are 1) the people, 2) the food. But, if the local food...
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How long should you vagabond for?

As I've said many times before on this blog: my initial plan on the road was in a time-frame of 6-months. It's been almost two-years now and the thought of...
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Mark Boyle: Trip to walk from Britain to India fails

When I first read about Mark Boyle's quest to walk 9000 miles from Britain to India -- without money -- I was impressed at his boldness and confidence in humanity....
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Trusting people on the road

Like every child, I was brought up being told "don't talk to strangers". The minute I began traveling, I completely ignored this rule. When I travel, I trust everyone until...
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Travel writing contest: Women Inspire Women

Journey Woman, a resourceful site for women travelers, has launched a travel-writing contest looking for the most inspiring tales of determination and courage. They want to read your stories and...
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A slight rant about the rhetoric of "ethical travel"

Not long ago, my friend and colleague Lauren Grodstein contacted me for a story she was writing about ethical travel. In the process of answering her email questions, I realized...
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Travel, make videos, and make money

It seems like traveling and making your own videos, and earning a few bucks no longer requires going to film-school or working for the Travel Channel. Thanks to websites like...
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Tidypack: a backpack made for backpackers

I always use a backpack. I prefer it to suitcases and think they are generally easier to travel with. But the one thing that always annoys me is that you...
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Credo of a peace traveler

There is one thing I keep feeling guilty about, yet I don't do anything about it. I don't give enough back to the world. Blah blah blah. I do constantly...
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Should beginning travel writers write for free?

Not long ago, Abha Malpani queried me for a Written Road post she was writing about whether or not beginner writers should write for free in the name of building...
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Write and win a vagabonding trip round the word!

Hostelling International-USA and Earthchild Productions, producers of vagabonding movie 'A Map For Saturday' have launched a competition to send someone on a round the world trip. All you have to...
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Mediocre photos of Australian animals

[Above: An angry frillneck lizard, slightly off-center.] It's been nearly a year now since I headed halfway around the world to write about Australia for Slate. I was recently...
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Travel writers to read in NY for Featurewell celebration

This Tuesday, October 9th, a number of writers will read essays about life-changing travels as part of an event called "Going Places: Revelations from the Road." Presenters include National Geographic...
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Heathrow: Worst summer transit airport in the world?

The summer-travel high season has finally wound to a close, and must say that -- in ten years of constant international wandering -- I have never had so many hassles...
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Did Allen Ginsberg (and Jack Kerouac) inspire Fight Club?

Not long ago, while reading a collection of Jack Kerouac's journals, entitled Windblown World, I came across a startling entry from April 17th, 1948, which sounds a lot like...
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Does "Orientalism" persist in contemporary travel writing?

Drew Madson, an English student at the College of Saint Benedict, recently contacted me with a query for an essay he was writing for his contemporary lit and post-colonial lit...
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Australian snake-handling in the post-Steve Irwin age

Above: Snake-catcher Chris Peberdy at work (that's a non-poisonous carpet python) in suburban Darwin. Recently, while traveling in Australia's Northern Territories (not long, in fact, after researching my latest...
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History-travel writing at NYU with Tony Perrottet

Travel writer Tony Perrottet will be teaching a course at New York University this spring that blurs his two opuses -- history-writing and travel-writing. Entitled "The Past on the Page:...
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Could Saddam have a shot at nirvana?

The following is a report from my fellow Kansan Stan Cox, who spends winters in India with his wife Priti. All quotes were copied verbatim from the Jan. 7 edition...
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James Brown, rest in peace

As many of you probably know already, James Brown -- the Godfather of Soul -- died on Christmas morning. He was 73 years old. Like most Americans, I'd been familiar...
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Why do backpackers gravitate to unstable countries?

Recently, a journalism student in the U.K. emailed me for insights on a paper she was writing about why backpackers choose to travel to politically and economically unstable countries. Do...
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Anthony Bourdain wants you to be a traveler, part II

Above: Bourdain strikes a new pose. I opened The New Yorker this week to discover that the advertisement for travel-chef Anthony Bourdain's television show, No Reservations, has been altered....
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Is this the real Rod Stewart?

Above: The real Rod, or an impersonator? My sister Kristin recently traveled to New Orleans with students from a January-term travel-writing class she's teaching at Bethany College (where she's...
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Rejecting your rejection slips

I just got back from a magazine assignment on the Caribbean island of Grenada -- and I've spent the past couple days catching up on various tasks, including my notes...
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