Comments on: Video: Rolf reads at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris

By: Gadlinks for Thursday, 10-1-09 » Travel Insights 100

Gadlinks for Thursday, 10-1-09 » Travel Insights 100 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:35:22 +0000

[...] Video of travel writer Rolf Potts doing a reading and answering questions at Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore in Paris. [...]

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:52:25 +0000

Dear Professor Potts,
You studied tourism anthropology, you might need a hobby, but then again, I have also so…
My two favorite highlighted home-hitting quotes from Death of an Adventure Traveler
“didn’t want to read about journeys that were obscure or complicated; they wanted exotic challenges wherein they might test-or, at least, imagine themselves testing-the extremes of human experience.”

“wanted me to create a tantalizing recipe for the exotic and the unexpected-but only the kind of ‘unexpected’ that could be planned in advance and completed in less than three weeks”

And for those very thoughts drilled into my mind, facilitating the dishing out of cookie-cutter package tours, I resigned from a manager’s job to retain my dignity.

Thanks for sharing the slice of your Paris journey.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:52:17 +0000

Hey Rolf – I enjoyed both videos, and look forward to checking out your latest book in the near future.

This reminded me that the last video I had watched of you speaking was from a brown-bag lunch at a Google office (in NYC I think). That was posted sometime in 2007, because I watched it before my RTW trip. It feels like yesterday.

I specifically remember one audience member asking the question of whether it is better to travel first, and write second, or if you can begin your travel writing before you’ve extensively traveled. Your advice was to travel first, and write second. That definitely stuck with me. Thanks!