Susan Orlean signs books at the Travel Writers Conference
Susan Orlean--prolific journalist, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin, and staff writer for The New Yorker--says her approach to writing a story is to just go and spend time with
someone. Her preference is to throw herself into new situations. No agenda, no prepared questions. She calls it "a sort of
emotional Outward Bound."
Orlean likened immersion journalism to travel
writing in that both forms follow "a voice of beckoning."
And,
like travel, no matter how many times she meets success she inevitably faces "panic, despair and deep, existential
loneliness." Part of her reporting process is telling a magazine she
has no story.
"There's nothing worse than wandering around
Midland," she said of the place in Texas where George W. Bush claimed
he wanted to be buried. No story leads. Panic. Despair. Until she
attended a real estate office BBQ and a petroleum luncheon
"with crispy, 90-year-old oil men." The result: A Place Called Midland.
Orlean said she always wanted to be a writer. As a child she wrote little storybooks about her family's trips. She "always thought writing was magical," but she didn't know what kind of writer she wanted to be until an article in LIFE magazine caught her eye in high school. It was a slice of life story of a small town family doctor.
"I thought, 'I want to do that kind of story,' " said Orlean. So she made a pros and cons list, something like this--
Pros: fun, interesting.
Cons: no jobs, don't know how.
Thankfully none of the cons panned out. Her father urged--even bribed--her to go to law school (he's a lawyer who wanted to be a writer), but she convinced him to give her a year to try.
Travel writing--my favorite genre--is on my mind lately, and it keeps coming up on my radar. First, there was Michele Jin's presentation about the relaunch of her travel mag, Passionfruit, online. Then, while Googling a 2008 Trazzler snippet I wrote on a local travel destination, I saw that another piece, "Riding the Bonde through Historic Neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro," had been republished on Salon.com as part of a photo series called "When Getting There is the Adventure."
Travelers' Tales anthologies
Yesterday I happened to read a yoga newsletter I subscribe to. The first thing featured was a 16-minute TED talk by Lavinia Spalding, editor of the newly released Best Women's Travel Writing anthology, volume 8. (My skydiving story, "Rite of Passage," was published in volume 5, and I plan to submit an essayto volume 9.) She calls travel writing "an incredibly powerful tool--something that can break down cultural borders and help create a more tolerant, connected and loving world. (You can watch the video below.)
Here are several other great opportunities to get your work (or yourself) out there:
1. AFAR magazine's CATCH contest: Post your best highlights and win a 5-day trip to Belgium!
This contest started at noon today, and runs through August 27.
Each week you post an original photo and write a "highlight" (1,500
characters or less) about their featured destination or theme. You can
post as many separate entries as you want each week. This week's
destination is Brazil (and Montreal), so I'm going for it! Your work
cannot be previously published by a magazine or newspaper (no "Parading in Rio's Carnival" for me), but I assume blogs are okay so I may adapt some posts from my old travel blog, Beijos do Brasil/Kisses from Brazil.
According to the website: all entries will be judged by panel of judges consisting of personnel
from the Sponsor on the following criterion: (a) most creative
interpretation of a given featured destination (35%), (b) most suitable
to AFAR spirit of travel (25%), (c) most likely to inspire other
travelers (20%), and (d) best artistic composition of photo (20%).
Each fall and spring, the Glimpse editorial
team selects 10 Glimpse Correspondents. The program is accepting applications from emerging writers, journalists, photographers
and filmmakers who are working, living, studying or volunteering
outside of their home countries for a period of at least 10 weeks. These correspondents are
expected to produce two long-form feature stories and/or photo essays,
and in return receive one-on-one support from professional editors, as well as:
Applications due July 30! Go here to apply online.
3.Travel Writers and Photographers Conference at Book Passage (northern California):
I highly recommend attending this year's conference, August 9-12. Founded and chaired by Don George, the 4-day offerings include 3-hour morning writing workshops and afternoon/evening panels and presentations by prominent editors, agents and authors such as Larry Habegger (Travelers' Tales), Jim Benning (WorldHum), Spud Hilton (S.F. Chronicle) and Pauline Frommer (travel guides). They cover all aspects from traditional magazine and newspaper writing to anthologies, guidebooks and online writing (including topics such as social media and food blogging).
If you can't make it (or can't afford the $635 fee), come to the free evening presentations and schmooze afterwards: Friday night with award-winning-travel-writer (and actor) Andrew McCarthy (8:30-10 p.m.) and Sat. night with prominent journalist Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief.
