One for the Road: Ireland’s Literary Revival

by Kelly Amabile on

I’ve already mentioned how much I love the Roaring Forties ArtPlace series, but I won’t apologize for saying it again. The latest creative guide in this fantastic alternative series is A Journey into Ireland’s Literary Revival by R. Todd Felton. Instead of focusing on the life of one artist in a particular city, this unique guide takes a look at an entire group of writers and their individual relationships with various nooks and crannies of the entire Emerald Isle.

Felton takes the authentically Irish literature of writers such as W. B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory and Sean O’Casey and uses it as a tool for exploration. This historic literary travelogue takes readers to places like Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Dublin. And along the way makes visits to the cottages, castles, theaters and pubs where some of the country’s finest writers shaped a vision of Ireland. This is a nice series for armchair travelers looking to bypass logistical details, and a perfect fit for literary fans who wish to see the country from a cultural perspective.

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.

Wheelers on “Wait, Wait” During June US Book Tour

by Kelly Amabile on

Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler are kicking off a two week book tour of the US with an appearance at Book Expo in New York City today. They will then continue on with a series of events at bookstores and other venues from Boston to Portland.

They will visit The Geographical Society of Philadelphia and The Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Book Fair, and will also stop by NPR’s Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me while in the Windy City next week.

The publishing powerhouse duo is touring in support of their two new books, both released this spring: Tony Wheeler’s Bad Lands: A Tourist on the Axis of Evil and Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story. Tony’s book offers a first-hand look at his travels through some of the world’s most dangerous regimes; places like Afghanistan, Burma, Iran, Libya, Cuba and North Korea. The other book, written together by the couple, is a personal account of their 40-years in the travel guidebook biz. I’ve only had time to skim the Table of Contents of my copy, but it looks as if it must read like a good story while also serving as a textbook for the travel publishing industry.