Jan Morris at the New York Public Library

by Kelly Amabile on

Essayist and travel writer Jan Morris, who recently turned 80, will be in New York this Friday night for a special lecture and conversation. Paul Holdengräber, Director of the New York Public Library’s LIVE programs will interview the celebrated author and world traveler about her lifetime of stories and adventures. Some of the topics up for discussion include: Patriotism, The Practice of Travel, Norwegian Forest Cats, The Superiority of Small Countries, Journalism at Mount Everest and the most important issue of all: Marmalade vs Grape Jelly?!

I’m sure that any conversation with this venerated author would be an entertaining and informative ride to somewhere, but this event may mark one of the few chances you’ll ever get to participate and possibly pose a question of your own. Morris has written over 40 history and travel themed books including works about Venice, Trieste, Sydney, Hong Kong, Spain, and her native Wales. If you have not yet read a classic Morris work, please add something from her collection to your summer reading list. I’ll be sure to remind you in a future One for the Road.

One for the Road (04/09/07)

by Kelly Amabile on

Misadventure in the Middle East: Travels as Tramp, Artist & Spy is a title that grabs your attention, no? Henry Hemming’s book has been out in the UK for awhile, but is just beginning to appear on bookshelves here in the US. It tells the tale of Hemming’s travels as an artist through uneasy places during unpredictable times. With only his paintbrush and trusty pick-up truck Yasmine, Henry travels to Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Jordan and other countries in the region, trading stories with young artists and others he meets along the way.

This is the kind of memoir I’m usually drawn to – a fresh voice and unique perspective on travels through a region I wish I knew more about. Reading something slightly outside the box like this may bring new meaning to the realities of life in this part of the world.

Check out Hemming’s website for news and reviews about the book, as well as links to his other writing and art accomplishments. And be sure to click on the Misadventure Images link to see an extensive series of photos that document his travels.

One for the Road (04/08/07)

by Kelly Amabile on

The remote island of Rapa Nui is known as Easter Island thanks to Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who christened the name when he came upon the secluded spot in the South Pacific on Easter Sunday in 1722.

Many travel guides simply include a section on the island (and its famous mysterious moai statues) in their books that cover Chile. One of the more recently updated guides containing information on Easter Island is the Moon Guide to Chile. The second edition of this book was released in January 2007 and is written by Wayne Bernhardson, who has been traveling to Chile since 1979.

Whatever resources you use to research a visit, be sure to thumb through several Chile guides to compare their Easter Island sections. A good starting point right on the web is the Easter Island Foundation, a handy and well-organized online guide to the history, culture and people of Easter Island. Their Ideal Easter Island Bookshelf is an excellent place to look for additional book resources.

One for the Road (04/07/07)

by Kelly Amabile on

Here’s one for the kids — recently released Lightship is a colorful history of floating lighthouses, a special fleet that used to warn other ships about storms and hazards at sea.

Artist Brian Floca uses vibrant watercolor drawings to illustrate what life was like on one of these essential safety ships. The anchored boats, which operated in U.S. waters until 1983, used foghorns and lights to signal moving vessels through rough waters. Children in awe of big boats and brave sailors should enjoy this nautical narrative.

And if so, they may also like Floca’s other transportation and travel-themed books for kids: The Racecar Alphabet , Up in the Air, Five Trucks and Dinosaurs at the End of the Earth, based on the true story of an explorer’s expeditions into Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.

One for the Road (04/06/07)

by Kelly Amabile on

In honor of Tartan Week, a Scottish selection for our book of the day:

Over 60 years ago, George Orwell came to the Isle of Jura to write 1984. He left crowded London for the remote Scottish island, remaining there until 1950, when illness forced him to return to mainland Britain. Could a stay at this secluded place prove successful for other writers?

The Scottish Trust seems to think so. In late 2006 it launched the Isle of Jura Retreat program, a unique opportunity for three writers per year to spend a month on the idyllic island off the west coast of Scotland.

To celebrate the kickoff of this program, the Trust, along with Jura Whiskey, has produced Jura: Taste Island Life, a collection of stunning photography and works inspired by time spent on the writers haven. It includes a foreword from Alexander McCall Smith and an essay on Orwell on Jura by his biographer Sir Bernard Crick. The featured writing is all a direct response to having spent time on the island, is only available from the Scottish Book Trust or Jura Whiskey.