The Best American Travel Writing 2005, the sixth installment of Houghton Mifflin's best-selling series, features some of the most captivating and entertaining pieces of travel writing published last year, by many of the best journalists working in the field. The twenty-five selections offer an exclusive peek into destinations near and far — from the lush Vietnamese countryside to the pastel Florida coast to the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan.
In her introduction to this exciting new anthology, guest editor Jamaica Kincaid writes of the pieces, "Each one of them reminds me of two of the many sentiments attached to the travel narrative: curiosity and displacement . . . they all hold an idea that is so central to my own understanding of the world I have inherited. These essays stimulate my curiosity; they underline my sense of displacement."
With this newest volume of travel writing, we invite readers to jet to France for a thirty-seven-course lunch, commute to New York from New Jersey along scenic Route 3, and then dive into the Peruvian Amazon in search of spiritual healing. This collection of humorous and enchanting articles reflects the tranquility of travel as well as the feelings of disappointment and frustration sometimes experienced in a far-off land.
Contributors for this year's volume include Jim Harrison, Ian Frazier, Pam Houston, Simon Winchester, and Madison Smartt Bell.
Jamaica Kincaid is the author of numerous award-winning works, including the memoirs My Brother and The Autobiography of My Mother, the novel Annie John, and her travelogue, Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalayas.
Jason Wilson has written for the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Salon.com.
|
