The Horrible Truth About Travel Writing
Guidebook writer Carl Parkes has started a new blog, entertainingly entitled “The Horrible Truth About Travel Writing“. Parkes claims the blog is meant to showcase “articles and opinions helpful to travel writers, whether new to the profession or seasoned pros.”
“There are plenty of websites and blogs that praise the world of being a travel writer,” Parkes told me in an email, “and they almost always include a plug for some travel writing course where you can become a travel writer and live the life of your fantasies. I resent these plugs and feel that somebody needs to present some reality about travel writing. The blog is intended to be a compendium of travel articles written about travel writing, and I do not intend to write original material for the blog. The sad fact is that most articles about the craft of travel writing eventually disappear, and will never been seen by the public or prospective travel writers. I intend to change that and keep decent, introspective articles on travel writing in permanent space on that blog.”
So far, the blog includes classic articles by Jason Wilson and Thomas Swick, as well as more recent reports from Publisher’s Weekly, MediaBistro, and The Guardian. I’m sure Carl encourages more suggestions and submissions from the travel-writing world. Click here for his latest update.
October 3rd, 2004 at 11:47 am
Rolf, thanks for the mention and I’ll let you know about any response. And how was Baja? I once spent two weeks driving from San Diego down Baja and only made about a third of the journey, as the scenery was absolutely fantastic, including my favorite place, the giant cactus forest of Bahia de Los Angeles. Wow. Just don’t throw rocks at the barking dogs and accidentally hit the local police station. They carry sub-machine guns in that town.