The Best American Travel Writing 2002 (Best American (TM)) [Hardcover]

Frances Mayes (Editor), Jason Wilson (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Best American (TM) | Publication Date: October 15, 2002

The Best American Travel Writing 2002 is edited by Frances Mayes, the author of Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany and the master of “running away to live in the place of one’s dreams” (Los Angeles Times). Giving new life to armchair travel for 2002 are David Sedaris on God and airports, Kate Wheeler on a most dangerous Bolivian festival, André Aciman on the eternal pleasures of Rome, and many more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Writer Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun) is the guest editor of this third annual collection, in which "writers cover many latitudes and longitudes, physically and metaphorically." Several pieces are topical and look at how political realities have reshaped travel destinations, as in Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street" and Adam Gopnik's "The City and the Pillars," both about New York City on and after September 11; or Edward Hoagland's thought-provoking "Visiting Norah," about a trip to Uganda to visit a family of orphans to whom he'd been sending money. Some are lighthearted, such as David Sedaris's boisterous account of a Logan Airport layover, "The Man Upstairs" ("The cancellation was a reminder that I do not govern the activities of major airports, which seems obvious enough but always comes as a terrible shock when stated out loud"). More traditional essays include "Spain in a Minor Key" by Tony Perrottet, a leisurely look at Menorca, and Lawrence Millman's evocative and informative "In the Land of the White Rajahs," about his travels through Malaysian islands. P.J. O'Rourke, Andre Aciman, Molly O'Neill and many other authors are featured here, while destinations range from Bolivia to the Sahara. It's a captivating literary anthology that can be enjoyed on location or in the oft-mentioned armchair.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Mayes, author of the best-selling Under the Tuscan Sun, is the guest editor of the third annual volume in this series, with the previous volumes edited by Bryce and Theroux. The 26 articles in the collection appeared in three newspapers and 15 periodicals, some well known (e.g., The New Yorker and Esquire) and some less known (e.g., Islands and Hemispheres). The writers also vary in fame and their essays in experience: Some are grim and serious, such as Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street" and Adam Gopnik's "The City and the Pillars," both depicting New York on and after 9/11. Others are quite humorous, such as David Sedaris's "The Man Upstairs," which describes an annoying airport layover. Then there are more traditional travelogs, such as Edward Hoagland's "Visiting Norah," which recounts his trip to Uganda, and Lawrence Millman's "In the Land of the White Rajahs," recounting his travels through Malaysian islands. With the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America well represented, the quality of the writing is very good, and the subject matter will generally hold the reader's interest. As with any compilation, some essays, depending on one's taste, will be more appealing than others. Recommended for large public libraries and those with extensive travel collections. An optional purchase for all others. John McCormick, New Hampshire State Lib., Concord
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; None edition (October 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618118799
• ISBN-13: 978-0618118793
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,224,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wide ranging voices, December 29, 2002

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best American Travel Writing 2002 (Best American (TM)) (Hardcover)

Author of "Under the Tuscan Sun," and "Bella Tuscany," Frances Mayes has whittled to 26 a wide-ranging selection of pieces from Jason Wilson's choice of the best 100 of 2001. Reflecting the state of our present world, Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street" and Adam Gopnik's "The City and the Pillars" ponder New York on and after September 11, P.J. O'Rourke does a savagely poignant portrait of Israel, and Rod Davis' exploration of the Rio Grande border is replete with sadness, ugliness and heart.

There are far-flung adventures too - falconry in Central Asia (Stephen Bodio), Lawrence Millman's thoughtful, whimsical search for his "fantasy jungle" in the Malaysian Islands, Kate Hennessy's highly personal trip across the Sahara, Michael Finkel's encounters with people who make their living crossing the Sahara's lifeless "void," Kate Wheeler's "worlds of marvel" in, of all places, Bolivia.

More traditional European forays include Andre Aciman's evocative "Roman Hours," Tony Perrottet's "Spain in a Minor Key," Isabella Tree's "Spetses, Greece." Closer to home there's Elizabeth Nickson's incisive and amusing portrayal of the conflict between newcomers who want to preserve their San Juan Island's "rural character", "while the other half are the rural character and would like, therefore, to cash in on it," and Kevin Canty's first trip to the Neshoba County (Mississippi) Fair, "the world's oldest and largest campground fair."

Humorous personal essays with a twist of enlightenment include William Booth's account of annual travels with his mother, "Throw Junior From the Car," Devin Friedman's first trip to Acapulco with his grandfather who'd been vacationing there every winter for 40 years, and David Sedaris' account of an involuntary Logan Airport layover.

Molly O'Neill portrays a chef trying to go home to Cambodia, Jim Harrison muses masterfully on food and book tours, and Edward Hoagland writes a sensitive, exploratory account of traveling to Uganda to meet the family he has been sending money to.

The sheer variety of voices, places and themes makes this a must for travel-book fans and the quality of the writing, while also varied, is generally high and, here and there, exceptional.