Truth in Travel Writing
Tom Swick: Contemplating and celebrating the world of travel
07.13.09 | 12:53 PM ET
Photo by What if truth in travel extended to the contributors’ page?
Lauren Haberdy (“Caribbean Carousel”) now adds islands to the list of places she hates writing about. “They’re like big resorts, where everyone’s on vacation except you,” she complains. She was amazed by how, even at waterfront restaurants, she would always be seated next to the kitchen. And she would like to apologize to everyone who was at the café in Gustavia the night she broke down in tears.
Constantine di Silva Mantuöes (“Down Argentine Way”) is actually the pen name of Burt Denk. Denk was delighted to get this assignment because of a lifelong love of tango and an urgent need to pay the rent. “I really don’t think we would have been able to stay in Hoboken,” he says, “with just a kill fee.”
Theodore Wysbickla (“Laotian Days”) was about to apply to law school when we contacted him about visiting Luang Prabang. “I’ll probably still become a lawyer at some point,” Wysbickla says. “At least I’ll get more respect than I do as a travel writer.”
Jacqueline Mester (“The Desert Light”) has worked out of a Volkswagen van ever since she had to foreclose on her house. “If you’re going to be homeless,” she says, “you may as well be a travel photographer.” In her free time, Mester enjoys taking pictures of people in vintage clothing that doesn’t quite fit.
Louis Deland (“Around the Baltic”) spent most of his time in Poland alone and irritated by the unintelligibility of the language. Lithuania wasn’t much better. He says, “You wonder, constantly: What the hell am I going to write about these people?” Deland’s latest book, about his search for the soul of a unified Germany, has been rejected by 46 publishers.
Eurydice Basilica (“The New Green Tourist”) has written for numerous publications that are no longer in business and authored three books that are now out of print. “I am grateful to any editor who doesn’t see me as a jinx,” she says, quickly adding: “But it’s not like I’m the only one.” Basilica is currently at work on a new identity.
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Tom Swick is the author of two books: a travel memoir, Unquiet Days: At Home in Poland, and a collection of travel stories, A Way to See the World: From Texas to Transylvania with a Maverick Traveler. He was the travel editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for 19 years, and his work has been included in "The Best American Travel Writing" 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2008.
Jenna Schnuer 07.13.09 | 3:14 PM ET
I laugh. I cry.
Jenny 07.13.09 | 4:10 PM ET
Can you feel sad for these writers while laughing? Very humbling for an aspiring travel writer (i.e. one that may - or may not ever - be published…sigh)
Antonia Malchik 07.15.09 | 10:48 AM ET
From Sirenland in Twitter: “Being a writer means choosing a career where “failure” and rejection are the norm. It’s all about what you do with it.”
So define failure :-) They also posted an awesome little essay on the fact that writers (all writers) are never satisfied with the state of their careers http://www.danishapiro.com/blog/2009/07/on-focusing-on-results.html
You can be living comfortably as an investment banker (or not) doing travel writing on the side or living hand-to-mouth selling your photography—the self-doubts and ambitions are gnawing in either case.
Janice & Clay 07.15.09 | 8:49 PM ET
Ha! This sounds like a tool in the travel writer’s arsenal to discourage the competition. There’s a lot of planet out there in need of fresh updates, share the road Swick 8^).
Any writer/entrepreneur worth their salt will diversify. We work corporate client assignments & travel write from the road. We’re not opposed to mixing day jobs with travel writing tours. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing pursuit.
If you Love to travel, and do so within your means where you want to go, it’s worth it even if you aren’t “published” or famous. Just keep other irons in the fire to pay your overhead.
We enjoyed full-time Fortune 500 marketing/advertising writing while building our freelance copywriting business http://www.copystratic.com over the past three years.
Travel writing is just one more facet added to our writing business, not a starving artist profession.
Being your own boss doing what you love while having a flexible telecommute schedule is a worthy aspiration. Follow your passion. You have annoyances no matter where you work.
God provides everything you need to follow your dreams to see and share His creation. It is very humbling.
Try this self-quiz:
What would you do if you knew you had two years left to live?
Well, Get To It.
May God bless your endeavors.
anisha 07.23.09 | 3:58 AM ET
i’ll still try again…
Marcin M. from Poland 08.05.09 | 8:17 PM ET
Good work! I’m from Europe, so I’m know what You’re talking about.
Martin Crossland 08.26.09 | 3:46 PM ET
Not exactly encouraging for a neophyte. In spite of that, I’m going to enroll in your next travel writing course “Writing the World” at MDC. Perhaps I am the eternal optimist.