pickI will definitely be looking into other entries in this series, and similar collections of travel essays. While this year may have proved somewhat exceptional in its content due to the various upheavals happening in 2020/2021, it provided a broad range of voices and perspectives, not all focused on the doom and gloom of the pandemic, and other crises. 1/?
WHY, I ask you, is there no action movie series based on this man's life?!
The most succinct, emotionally resonant description I've encountered in 4 years. 😔
pickIt‘s hard to review a book of best American science and nature writing. I love these types of anthologies, for lack of a better word, and I obviously liked or loved certain of the articles. They were all informative and some I cared about more than others. Some are extremely pertinent to the current election and beyond. If you like scientific writing, this will be your jam. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickAn editor makes all the difference. This was a phenomenal group of essays (I only bailed on two) with Baby Yeah by Anthony Veasna So as the standout. Ghost Bread by Angelique Steves was also a winner.
"Queerness is that thing that lets us feel that this world is not enough," Muñoz writes, "that indeed something is missing." Without a doubt, hanging with my friend, you perceived the world as too small, too limited, too shortsighted. You'd think-or maybe this was only me—that society had to be operating in profoundly inexcusable ways if no secure place existed for him to thrive in. -Anthony Veasna So / Baby Yeah
so-soThis selection of essays brings on feelings of the throes of seasonal depression. They‘re moody and heavy. I don‘t need everything I read to be uplifting but I also don‘t seek out essays that make me feel like I need to cut myself. That being said, there were some great essays in here (I think I gave up on about 25%). My faves were by Erik Borsuk, Scott Spencer, Kathryn Schulz, Xujun Eberlein, and Robert Anthony Siegel.
pickI've been craving essays, just reading one a day for a tiny hit of insight. I started with Solnit's year because I love her and am looking forward to popping in and out with this series for the rest of forever.
Like all anthology there are pieces that resonated with me along with those that did not. I've not stopped thinking about Alexander Chee's essay and will be reading more from him soon!
From what I can tell all the articles featured appeared elsewhere first, so hopefully the title and author will let you find them individually if desired.
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To the Swimmer in the Borneo Rainforest by Meghan Gunn - Powerful 4 pages.
I Decided to Leave by Meghan Daum - Puppy!
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Food, It Turns Out, Has Little to Do With Why I Travel by Noah Galuten - Restaurant business, experience of food and travelling for it, found greatly enhanced by human connections, tone of quiet reverence. 3w
Some of the issues with travel writing, journalists dropping in and shoring up cliches with first impressions.
*Really liked the writing 3w
*The writing engaged me in a way that 3w
Water or Sky? by Meg Bernhard - I see that there is travel, that it's somewhat written to have travel as a framework, but I think it's easy to argue this is not a travel writing piece, as the focus is the loss of loved ones, dealing with grief, mental health and death by drowning. 3w
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On the Complicated Questions Around Writing About Travel by Intan Paramaditha -
Should really be a necessary preface in every travelogue.
The year following intensive quarantine is when many are going to take stock of the costs of travel. 3w
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This collection really wouldn't be an accurate reflection of 2020/21 travel writing if it didn't have the perspective of one traveller caught somewhere in quarantine. 3w
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⚠️ Attempted assault, loss of (19 year old) child, mental health concerns 3w