Travel, Travel Writing, and the Literature of Travel

Abstract

Despite its supposed death, travel is something we all crave—both what it is and what it represents. By travel I do not mean tourism; it is not a matter of packing up your lifestyle and beliefs and taking them on the road. Genuine travel broadens the mind and gives an understanding of other people and cultures. Travel allows us to learn, to grow, to bring back badges of newfound knowledge. There's an element of danger in authentic travel, an exploration into the unknown. Travel is, in literary terms, a crucial act, important to writers and thus to readers. Writers need travel—its freedom, its stimulation, and exposure to new and innovative points of view—in the same way they need air, editors, and a reading audience. The greatest authors are in a loose sense all travel writers; they maintain I've been there, I've witnessed it and have come back to tell the tale. All writing is travel writing—even if the journey is entirely within the mind, or even if it's an intimate exploration of a body.