Pico Iyer
1 Experiencing other lands and other cultures
What is the gold standard for a travel article? If it is to put you in the writer's shoes to experience what the writer experiences, then you can say that this book has picked articles that meet that criterion. The book contains articles from magazines, websites, newspapers, and online to present to the reader. The experiences will vary from riding a New York bus to being in mortal danger in SE Asia. You will feel what the writers feel. And your horizons will expand---geographically, culturally, and politically.
My only reservation is that the universe of publications, from which the articles were selected, seems to be limited. You will see a similarity between the 2003 and 2004 publications.
2 Another Year of Compelling Travel Narratives
In the introduction to this annual collection, Pico Iyer writes ".. .travel writing can arise out of the least dramatic places and episodes... when one falls between the craks of one's itinerary and tumbles out of the guidebook altogether."
Indeed, screenwriter Richie Chevat turns a routine vacation to the beach into riotous screenplay, while Adam Gopnik weaves anthropoligical critique and historical perspective into an engaging essay about riding the bus in Manhattan.
In "Ghost Road" one of the strongest pieces of the anthology (and there are many), Mark Jenkins chronicles his obsession with traveling the Stillwell Road in Burma, and his ultimate decision to abandon the "arrogant" quest given the danger to the Burmese he enlists to assist him. "Real adventure-- self-determined, self-motivated, often risky-- forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world... Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind-- and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both." It is a masterpiece-- a riveting narrative filled with percipience and grace.
My only quibble is the paucity of female voices.
3 Great, Well Chosen Travel Essays
Another great in the Best American series. Bought it yesterday and have been ploughing through it. Loved Tad Friend's Segway piece as well as the John McPhee essay.
Well chosen stuff, funny as well as insightful.
