Travel Writing for Profit

by Erik Olsen on

Almost all professional writers know that travel writing is one of the toughest nuts to crack. The big successes
like Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson are few and far between, while below them are literally thousands of folks struggling
to write about their experiences and to get paid for it. I should know. I’m one of them.

But there is some help out there if you’ve committed yourself to the travel writing path, or at least are thinking
about it. Durant Imboden, whose europeforvisitors site is one of the most
popular of its kind out there, is one travel writer who’s advice will be very useful to folks trying to make it in the
trade. His article over at writers.org offers very
useful tips on how to find a story, to develop it and to write it for sale.

And while I’m on the topic, another site that provides a solid and often entertaining glimpse into the travel writing
life is Jen Leo’s writtenroad.com. Jen worked recently for Travelers Tales in
San Francisco and keeps a timely blog that I for one find useful for tips and opportunities, but also just to get a
taste of the travel writing life. Another good one is Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding,
which has stories, advice, and also some superb interviews with top writers in the field.

There are others, but this is a start. A couple of good places to peruse on this fabulous Friday.

Kevin Kelly’s Asia Photos

by Erik Olsen on

Most folks who know Kevin Kelly know him from the fact that he was a co-founder of
Wired Magazine or from when he edited the Whole Earth Review. Or perhaps you follow
his blog on technology or read
one of his books. I know him from all of these things.

The fact is, the man has been around. He’s been to lots of places, in fact, and spent many years in Asia, during which
time he shot some very impressive photography. That photography has been published in a book called
Asia Grace. Great stuff.
Really, check out out. In fact, all of the pictures in the book are also
available online.

A Walk Through Harlem

by Adrienne Wilson on

The streets of Harlem have always been a place I’ve wanted to spend countless hours wandering
through, revisiting  some of the greatest moments that took place in Black
history.  To sojourn digs great poets like
Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen exhausted in the
hay-day of the Renaissance couldn’t make for a better summer field trip. 
Harlem Heritage Tours is excellent starting point to walking
trips galore, through Harlem yesterday and today.  Packed full of diversity you can take art, jazz, salsa,
hip hop, and gospel tours through the Manhattan neighborhood.  The best thing about Harlem Heritage is the tours
are given by folks that actually live and work in the community so you gain an insider’s view.  And if your feet
should wear out on you, drop into a nearby soul food restaurant for some rest and relaxation.  

Indiana Jones Redux

by Erik Olsen on

Or is that redux redux redux? 

Either way, sister site Cinematical, a great site for everything Hollywood,
has got a post about the return of
one of fiction’s greatest travelers of all time: Indiana Jones.

Turns out that while there will be no more Star Wars whatsoever (come on! a middle-aged Luke and his repentant dad
pal around Tattooine, have a couple of beers at the
saloon…maybe fight some crime…sort of a Courtship of Eddie’s
Father meets Lethal Weapon), there WILL be another Indiana Jones starring, of course, Harrison Ford, who hopefully
won’t be doing too many shirtless scenes as word has it he’s gotten a bit flabby…not to mention grey. No matter. I’ll
watch it even if he’s chasing Nazis with a walker.

For those who don’t know, the Jones character is actually based on a real-life explorer named Roy Chapman Andrews who
made several big discoveries in the early part of this century and was known for his swashbuckling style. Although it
is not known if, re Nazis, he “hates those guys”.