One for the Road: Celebrate Literary London

by Kelly Amabile on

The Southbank Centre in London is gearing up for a summer full of exciting events that celebrate the city. At the forefront of the festivities that focus on Literature and the Spoken Word is the brand new London Literature Festival, a two-week collection of literature, writing and performance activities that will take place throughout the Southbank complex beginning June 29.

One of the main themes of the festival is Metropolitan Lines, which honors London as muse with readings and performances inspired by the city. A headliner event of this series will celebrate the re-opening of The Poetry Library, which has been closed during the Royal Hall renovations. The library will be showcasing an exhibition of books on the theme of London and on July 4, three poets (Sean Borodale, Tobias Hill and Iain Sinclair) will pay tribute to the city.

One for the Road: Berlin, Hotels & More

by Kelly Amabile on

Being a German company and all, I guess it’s only natural that TASCHEN publish its share of native titles. A few weeks ago I mentioned the hefty Spirit of Berlin. Now we’ve got the recently released Berlin, Hotels & More, the latest in Dr. Angelika Taschen’s Hotel series.

One of the special selling points of this guide series is the detailed look at specific hot spots to visit in the hotel’s neighborhood. The book features accommodation suggestions that lean towards high-end and luxury, but includes a variety of hotel, pension and serviced apartment recommendations.

Forthcoming titles in this Berlin series include Restaurants and Shops, both due out in August. This softcover series also includes books on hotels in London and Paris, but should not be confused with TASCHEN’s hardcover The Hotel Book series.

One for the Road: The Transportation of Place

by Kelly Amabile on

New York in Las Vegas. Did you ever stop and think about the cultural ramifications of this while zig-zaging among casinos along the strip?

One creative couple has spent a large portion of their career devoted to observing representations of this concept, which they call The Transportation of Place. The term, used by Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, describes what they define as “situations in which one limited or isolated place strongly resembles another distant one.” This surreal nonfiction book examines the placement of locations and explores questions surrounding globalization, tourism and cultural identity.

The body of work this artsy duo has created can be seen in museums and private collections around the world. And the most recent exhibit of this theme opened just last week at the French Institute in New York. Location Dislocation looks at contradictions — where a culture or place has been copied and relocated. For example: Germans who dress as Native Americans or an American chain store in the French countryside. The images are meant to challenge our notions of place, and question, among other things, why non-authentic locations seem to be accepted as genuine locales.

One for the Road: Dispatches From Up South

by Kelly Amabile on

Now that Memorial Day and Book Expo are behind us, One for the Road can get back down to business, offering up a daily dose of fresh book ideas for Gadling’s lit-minded travelers. Let’s get started with the latest from funnyman Roy Blount Jr. His first collection of essays in more than a decade, Long Time Leaving: Dispatches from Up South, is a quizzical look at where Blount grew up (the South), from where he now lives (the North.) About half the pieces that appear in the book are from his Oxford American column “Gone Off Up North”.

Although he touches on issues of race and politics throughout the book, the New York Times says Blount is at his best when chewing chili dogs or contemplating soybean crops. Smart and funny seems to be the general consensus on this one, regardless of where you’re from or who you vote for. And if you like Blount’s distinctive and well-known NPR voice, you may want to consider the audio version of this sly and witty tour through the South. He’ll be making several appearances in Alabama, Mississippi and New York during June and July.

One for the Road: Unrooted Childhoods

by Kelly Amabile on

This book has been out for several years, but I noticed that one of the editors, Nina Sichel, recently did an event about the book in Alexandria, VA. It sounds like a fascinating collection of stories, some written by well-known travel writers, so it seemed like a good one to share here:

Unrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing Up Global is an anthology of personal essays about the experiences of those who grew up without ever feeling grounded in one place. Authors such as Isabelle Allende, Pico Iyer, Tara Bahrampour, Pat Conroy and Sara Taber share tales from their lives as traveling children. As sons and daughters of diplomats, missionaries, educators and military personal, their lives were influenced by the varied locations and cultures that shaped their childhoods.

Nina is teaching a series of memoir writing workshops beginning later this month. Born in the U.S. and raised in Venezuela, she is a writer, former editor and ESL teacher. Her work has appeared in The American Journal of Nursing, Among Worlds, International Educator, and elsewhere.