41554 blogs · [ { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4daa70d19", "title": "Travel, Travel Writing, and the Literature of Travel", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/travel-writing-and-the-literature-of-travel/", "published_at": "2019-10-03T05:01:59+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4db2efccd", "title": "Travel Writer: Carolyn McCarthy", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/carolyn-mccarthy/", "published_at": "2019-10-01T05:30:07+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4db39c491", "title": "9 Outtakes from William Finnegan’s “Barbarian Days”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/finnegan-barbarian-days/", "published_at": "2019-09-19T05:01:18+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4db8bf6d4", "title": "Kate Harris and Rolf discuss exploration, borders, and wildness", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/kate-harris-book-qa/", "published_at": "2019-09-12T05:01:10+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4dbd891ed", "title": "Pointers on writing an unoriginal story", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/unoriginal-story/", "published_at": "2019-09-05T05:01:41+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4dbe16daf", "title": "Travel Writer: Camille T. Dungy", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/camille-t-dungy/", "published_at": "2019-09-01T05:01:18+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4dbfbc488", "title": "Eating Poetry, by Mark Strand", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/eating-poetry-mark-strand-2/", "published_at": "2019-08-29T05:01:52+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4dc805313", "title": "In View of the Fact, by A. R. 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"01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4def7be9b", "title": "Stranger Things is the story of my youth (and my mid-1980s journals prove it)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/stranger-things-my-youth/", "published_at": "2019-07-14T12:27:38+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4df0df20e", "title": "9 Outtakes from Matt Kepnes’ “Ten Years a Nomad”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/kepnes-ten-years-a-nomad/", "published_at": "2019-07-11T05:01:34+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e00cc1df", "title": "Travel Writer: Lebawit Lily Girma", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/lebawit-lily-girma/", "published_at": "2019-07-01T05:01:31+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e028f3b4", "title": "A Phone Call to the Future, by Mary Jo Salter", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/future-mary-jo-salter/", "published_at": "2019-06-27T05:01:24+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e08c0662", "title": "9 Outtakes from Alain de Botton’s “The Art of Travel”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/de-botton-art-of-travel/", "published_at": "2019-06-20T05:01:16+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e0e01359", "title": "Cultivating Loneliness: Why travel writing is more important than ever", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/why-travel-writing-important-kaplan/", "published_at": "2019-06-13T05:01:55+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e1b238bd", "title": "9 strategies to consider when revising a screenplay", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/screenplay-revision/", "published_at": "2019-06-06T05:01:22+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e1e1134d", "title": "Travel Writer: Shafik Meghji", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/shafik-meghji/", "published_at": "2019-06-01T05:01:45+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e2db859b", "title": "To World War Two, by Kenneth Koch", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/world-war-two-kenneth-koch/", "published_at": "2019-05-23T05:01:10+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e3755677", "title": "9 Outtakes from Leslie Jamison’s “The Empathy Exams”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/jamison-empathy-exams/", "published_at": "2019-05-16T05:01:24+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e3f7676d", "title": "Notes on the flâneur", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/notes-on-the-flaneur/", "published_at": "2019-05-13T18:13:30+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e4f6f54f", "title": "Roads Less Traveled: Why so much travel writing is so boring, by Thomas Swick", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/roads-less-traveled-swick/", "published_at": "2019-05-09T05:01:20+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e55c2ade", "title": "A short guide to “close reading” nonfiction", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/close-reading-nonfiction/", "published_at": "2019-05-02T05:01:47+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e56b15ef", "title": "Travel Writer: Oneika Raymond", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/oneika-raymond/", "published_at": "2019-05-01T05:01:34+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e6442377", "title": "Why I Am Not A Painter, by Frank O’Hara", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/painter-frank-ohara/", "published_at": "2019-04-25T05:01:40+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e6dcc8c4", "title": "Why We Travel, by Pico Iyer", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/why-we-travel-pico-iyer/", "published_at": "2019-04-11T05:01:21+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e72dd6d4", "title": "5 Ways Indie Travel Has Changed — And Stayed The Same — Since 1999", "url": "https://www.bootsnall.com/articles/5-ways-indie-travel-has-changed-and-stayed-the-same-since-1999.html", "published_at": "2019-04-09T11:34:12+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e7d294e9", "title": "Travel Writer: Tim Mackintosh-Smith", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/tim-mackintosh-smith/", "published_at": "2019-04-08T05:48:18+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e89299a4", "title": "5 insights on the relationship between ideas and stories", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/ideas-and-stories/", "published_at": "2019-04-04T05:01:25+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e8f9ef3b", "title": "Travel Writer: Leon Logothetis", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/leon-logothetis/", "published_at": "2019-04-01T05:01:51+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e8fce607", "title": "Farmer, by Patricia Traxler", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/farmer-patricia-traxler/", "published_at": "2019-03-28T05:01:50+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4e9d0800c", "title": "9 Outtakes from Paul Theroux’s “The Tao of Travel”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/theroux-tao-of-travel/", "published_at": "2019-03-21T05:01:10+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ea320355", "title": "Writing About Travel: A Brief Primer", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/writing-about-travel/", "published_at": "2019-03-14T05:01:38+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4eaadc7f7", "title": "A short primer on shamanistic tattoo-craft in Mentawai culture", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/mentawai-tattoo-craft/", "published_at": "2019-03-06T06:32:44+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4eb464f21", "title": "People of Sumatra #15 (Mentawai Islands edition): Amanjano, the poison-craftsman", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-amanjano/", "published_at": "2019-03-05T07:26:07+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4eb692eb3", "title": "After awhile in the jungle, loincloths begin to make a lot of sense", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/jungle-loincloths/", "published_at": "2019-03-04T08:23:54+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ec67131a", "title": "In the Siberut Island jungle, “visiting” is more than a synonym for “conversation”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/siberut-island-visiting/", "published_at": "2019-03-03T06:01:19+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ec87044d", "title": "Travel Writer: Matthew Teller", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/matthew-teller/", "published_at": "2019-03-01T06:01:53+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ed80b7b7", "title": "The Sacred, by Stephen Dunn", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/sacred-stephen-dunn/", "published_at": "2019-02-28T06:01:59+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ee4ce94d", "title": "In the jungles of Siberut, “authenticity” is a delightfully slippery concept", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/siberut-authenticity/", "published_at": "2019-02-27T06:25:49+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ef38fe2f", "title": "A short primer on Mentawai sago-flour preparation (aka the Sago-Pulp Workout)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/mentawai-sago-flour/", "published_at": "2019-02-26T06:08:01+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ef69958c", "title": "Mentawai houses are adorned with garlands of skulls (as a gesture of respect)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/mentawai-houses-skulls/", "published_at": "2019-02-25T06:01:38+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ef750a21", "title": "People of Sumatra #14 (Mentawai Islands edition): Amantiru, shaman of Siberut", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-amantiru/", "published_at": "2019-02-22T06:01:10+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4efadffd0", "title": "Mentawai villages retain tribal traditions in part because it’s hard to get there", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/mentawai-villages/", "published_at": "2019-02-20T06:47:55+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4efe5f71e", "title": "People of Sumatra #12 & #13 (Mentawai Islands edition): Mageba and Simalaje", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-mageba/", "published_at": "2019-02-19T06:20:16+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f06a8dde", "title": "Unrealistic fantasies about alternate existences are one of the joys of travel", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/unrealistic-fantasies-joy-of-travel/", "published_at": "2019-02-18T06:08:13+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f15ad832", "title": "When getting lost is neither an adventure nor a misadventure, but just is what it is", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/when-getting-lost-is-what-it-is/", "published_at": "2019-02-15T06:01:39+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f1dfeffb", "title": "A Rat in My Soup: Looking for the best-tasting rodent in town", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/rat-in-my-soup-hessler/", "published_at": "2019-02-14T06:01:48+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f23f81fa", "title": "People of Sumatra #11: Toikot, Mentawai shaman-elder of Siberut Island", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-toikot/", "published_at": "2019-02-13T06:46:30+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f2acad62", "title": "Travel Writer: Faith Adiele", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/faith-adiele/", "published_at": "2019-02-12T06:01:37+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f2e6e56a", "title": "I acquired some of my best travel-superpowers teaching English in Asia", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/teaching-english-in-asia/", "published_at": "2019-02-11T06:01:48+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f31ed9f7", "title": "People of Sumatra #10: Ling, the vagabonding host of Bukittinggi", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-ling/", "published_at": "2019-02-10T06:35:06+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f3e566cb", "title": "A few thoughts on the travel moments we leave out of our travel narratives", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/a-few-thoughts-on-the-travel-moments-we-leave-out-of-our-travel-narratives/", "published_at": "2019-02-09T06:02:18+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f3ff9262", "title": "When you’re a hungry traveler, following crowds is better than crowd-sourcing", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/following-crowds-v-travel-crowd-sourcing/", "published_at": "2019-02-08T06:01:17+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f41dcf76", "title": "7 insights into telling a richer story through evocative details", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/telling-details/", "published_at": "2019-02-07T06:01:51+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f461ae1e", "title": "Mobile navigation apps have shaken up my lifelong romance with paper maps", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/paper-maps-navigation-app/", "published_at": "2019-02-06T06:38:03+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f4ef6046", "title": "People of Sumatra #9: Zul (aka Bandalo) on the ebb of the Banana Pancake Trail", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-zul/", "published_at": "2019-02-05T06:28:41+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f5d1ce85", "title": "A whimsical swim to Tarandam, Lake Maninjau’s island of giant bats", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/swim-to-the-island-of-giant-bats/", "published_at": "2019-02-04T06:19:59+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f5d5bf7a", "title": "People of Sumatra #8: Jonedi, the Minangkabau drifter (not dreamer)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-jonedi/", "published_at": "2019-02-03T06:14:18+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f6c6265f", "title": "Sumatra has some of the best-value budget accommodation in the world", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/sumatra-best-value-budget-accommodation/", "published_at": "2019-02-02T06:03:52+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f6ff97a8", "title": "Travel Writer: Adam Valen Levinson", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/adam-valen-levinson/", "published_at": "2019-02-01T06:01:11+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f7e970df", "title": "Taking travel-photos of local people is a different task than it was 20 years ago", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/photos-of-local-people/", "published_at": "2019-01-31T06:51:36+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f8ad5bec", "title": "Field notes (and strategies) for riding a motorbike in the Sumatran highlands", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/motorbike-sumatran-highlands/", "published_at": "2019-01-30T06:30:17+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4f947de6c", "title": "People of Sumatra #6 & 7: Mal and Siar, who waited out a rainstorm with me", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-mal-and-siar/", "published_at": "2019-01-29T06:22:57+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fa23dd73", "title": "This is what happens when Instagram-influencer type waterfall selfies go wrong", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/when-instagram-influencer-selfies-go-wrong/", "published_at": "2019-01-28T06:15:39+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fa747870", "title": "People of Sumatra #5: Minangkabau Joe, the Michael Jordan of cow-racing", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-minangkabau-joe/", "published_at": "2019-01-27T07:08:35+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fac0d072", "title": "Sumatran “pacu jawi” cow races are a bizarre and delightful spectacle", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/sumatran-pacu-jawi-cow-races-are-every-bit-as-bizarre-and-delightful-as-you-might-imagine/", "published_at": "2019-01-26T06:46:09+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4faea21ab", "title": "People of Sumatra #4: Ari, the Neal Cassady of the Trans-Sumatran Highway", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-ari/", "published_at": "2019-01-25T06:28:51+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fb517b7c", "title": "Vectors: 45 Aphorisms and Ten-Second Essays, by James Richardson", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/vectors-james-richardson/", "published_at": "2019-01-24T06:01:13+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fb8b2263", "title": "Travel is never as perfect as what you see on Instagram (and this is a good thing)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/travel-is-never-as-perfect-as-instagram/", "published_at": "2019-01-23T06:20:11+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fc594177", "title": "People of Sumatra #3: Boymen, the James Dean of Sindambur Village", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-boymen/", "published_at": "2019-01-22T06:10:36+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fd0ab35d", "title": "Geography nerds, take note! Danau Sidihoni is a lake on an island on a lake on an island", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/lake-on-an-island-on-a-lake-on-an-island/", "published_at": "2019-01-21T06:59:51+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fdaecec5", "title": "People of Sumatra #2: Santi (who got her scarf caught in her motorbike sprockets)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-santi/", "published_at": "2019-01-20T06:49:59+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fe3f6bef", "title": "Yes, magic mushrooms are still very much a part of the Lake Toba backpacker scene", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/magic-mushrooms-lake-toba/", "published_at": "2019-01-19T06:37:26+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4fe6fb6af", "title": "Travel in Sumatra is cheap and amazing (and for that I am grateful)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/travel-in-sumatra-is-cheap/", "published_at": "2019-01-18T06:30:05+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ff2df4e2", "title": "9 Outtakes from Pauline Kael’s “Trash, Art, and the Movies,”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/kael-trash-art-movies/", "published_at": "2019-01-17T06:01:02+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a4ffebc072", "title": "People of Sumatra #1: Ganda (aka “Propaganda”)", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/people-of-sumatra-ganda/", "published_at": "2019-01-16T06:16:33+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a500b3c44a", "title": "Travel Writer: Celeste Brash", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/celeste-brash/", "published_at": "2019-01-15T06:01:06+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a501a37342", "title": "Using (and hacking) paper travel guidebooks, 25 years on", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/paper-travel-guidebooks/", "published_at": "2019-01-12T06:50:33+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a50277f30a", "title": "Writing About Places: The Travel Article", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/zinsser-travel-article/", "published_at": "2019-01-10T06:01:45+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a502e5fd7e", "title": "Update: Winter 2019", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/update-winter-2019/", "published_at": "2019-01-08T06:01:21+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a503c73062", "title": "13 tips for conducting an interview when reporting a story", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/conducting-an-interview/", "published_at": "2019-01-03T06:01:39+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a5048c2b9a", "title": "Travel Writer: Ken Ilgunas", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/ken-ilgunas/", "published_at": "2019-01-01T06:01:03+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a5058106c3", "title": "Tomatoes, by Stephen Dobyns", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/tomatoes-stephen-dobyns/", "published_at": "2018-12-27T06:01:39+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a505ccaf49", "title": "9 Outtakes from James Baldwin’s Paris Review interview", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/james-baldwin-paris-review/", "published_at": "2018-12-20T06:01:52+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a505f35d1a", "title": "Statistical Abstract for My Home of Spokane, Washington", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/abstract-spokane-walter/", "published_at": "2018-12-13T06:01:25+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a506701cdf", "title": "5 thoughts on the importance of character choices in screenwriting", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/character-choices-screenwriting/", "published_at": "2018-12-06T06:01:36+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a507301998", "title": "Travel Writer: Joshua Jelly-Schapiro", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/joshua-jelly-schapiro/", "published_at": "2018-12-01T06:01:38+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a5073ebf51", "title": "Bus Stop, by Donald Justice", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/bus-stop-donald-justice/", "published_at": "2018-11-29T06:01:12+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a5075864bf", "title": "“Indian Education,” by Sherman Alexie", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/indian-education-alexie/", "published_at": "2018-11-15T06:01:45+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a5081f2057", "title": "9 Outtakes from “Chuck Klosterman X”", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/chuck-klosterman-x/", "published_at": "2018-11-08T06:01:32+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a509137d78", "title": "13 insights on the tortured process of writing", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/process-of-writing/", "published_at": "2018-11-02T05:01:34+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a509cba646", "title": "Travel Writer: Kia Abdullah", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/kia-abdullah/", "published_at": "2018-11-01T05:03:46+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a50a3e2c7b", "title": "As if to Demonstrate an Eclipse, by Billy Collins", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/eclipse-by-billy-collins/", "published_at": "2018-10-25T05:01:16+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a50adc6c3c", "title": "“Politics and the English Language,” by George Orwell", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/politics-english-language-orwell/", "published_at": "2018-10-18T05:01:24+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a50ade2fe9", "title": "Six random insights from Henry Rollins’ 2018 Travel Slideshow", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/henry-rollins-travel-slideshow/", "published_at": "2018-10-11T05:01:08+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a50afecfce", "title": "5 insights on how (and when) to end your story or essay", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/when-to-end-your-story/", "published_at": "2018-10-03T05:01:43+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087d7-6af4-71eb-8a40-29a50b5625e0", "title": "Travel Writer: Kimberley Lovato", "url": "https://rolfpotts.com/kimberley-lovato/", "published_at": "2018-10-01T05:02:40+00:00" } ] posts Claim your blog

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2019

Travel, Travel Writing, and the Literature of Travel original ↗

3 Oct 2019

Travel Writer: Carolyn McCarthy original ↗

1 Oct 2019

9 Outtakes from William Finnegan’s “Barbarian Days”original ↗

19 Sept 2019

Kate Harris and Rolf discuss exploration, borders, and wildness original ↗

12 Sept 2019

Pointers on writing an unoriginal story original ↗

5 Sept 2019

Travel Writer: Camille T. Dungy original ↗

1 Sept 2019

Eating Poetry, by Mark Strand original ↗

29 Aug 2019

In View of the Fact, by A. R. Ammons original ↗

22 Aug 2019

9 Outtakes from Alastair Humphreys’ “My Midsummer Morning”original ↗

15 Aug 2019

Travel Writer: Rory Nugent original ↗

1 Aug 2019

6 thoughts on the importance of creating narrative structure original ↗

25 Jul 2019

Remembering Bushwick Bill (and the psychogeographical power of gangsta rap)original ↗

18 Jul 2019

Stranger Things is the story of my youth (and my mid-1980s journals prove it)original ↗

14 Jul 2019

9 Outtakes from Matt Kepnes’ “Ten Years a Nomad”original ↗

11 Jul 2019

Travel Writer: Lebawit Lily Girma original ↗

1 Jul 2019

A Phone Call to the Future, by Mary Jo Salter original ↗

27 Jun 2019

9 Outtakes from Alain de Botton’s “The Art of Travel”original ↗

20 Jun 2019

Cultivating Loneliness: Why travel writing is more important than ever original ↗

13 Jun 2019

9 strategies to consider when revising a screenplay original ↗

6 Jun 2019

Travel Writer: Shafik Meghji original ↗

1 Jun 2019

To World War Two, by Kenneth Koch original ↗

23 May 2019

9 Outtakes from Leslie Jamison’s “The Empathy Exams”original ↗

16 May 2019

Notes on the flâneur original ↗

13 May 2019

Roads Less Traveled: Why so much travel writing is so boring, by Thomas Swick original ↗

9 May 2019

A short guide to “close reading” nonfiction original ↗

2 May 2019

Travel Writer: Oneika Raymond original ↗

1 May 2019

Why I Am Not A Painter, by Frank O’Hara original ↗

25 Apr 2019

Why We Travel, by Pico Iyer original ↗

11 Apr 2019

5 Ways Indie Travel Has Changed — And Stayed The Same — Since 1999 original ↗

9 Apr 2019

Travel Writer: Tim Mackintosh-Smith original ↗

8 Apr 2019

5 insights on the relationship between ideas and stories original ↗

4 Apr 2019

Travel Writer: Leon Logothetis original ↗

1 Apr 2019

Farmer, by Patricia Traxler original ↗

28 Mar 2019

9 Outtakes from Paul Theroux’s “The Tao of Travel”original ↗

21 Mar 2019

Writing About Travel: A Brief Primer original ↗

14 Mar 2019

A short primer on shamanistic tattoo-craft in Mentawai culture original ↗

6 Mar 2019

People of Sumatra #15 (Mentawai Islands edition): Amanjano, the poison-craftsman original ↗

5 Mar 2019

After awhile in the jungle, loincloths begin to make a lot of sense original ↗

4 Mar 2019

In the Siberut Island jungle, “visiting” is more than a synonym for “conversation”original ↗

3 Mar 2019

Travel Writer: Matthew Teller original ↗

1 Mar 2019

The Sacred, by Stephen Dunn original ↗

28 Feb 2019

In the jungles of Siberut, “authenticity” is a delightfully slippery concept original ↗

27 Feb 2019

A short primer on Mentawai sago-flour preparation (aka the Sago-Pulp Workout)original ↗

26 Feb 2019

Mentawai houses are adorned with garlands of skulls (as a gesture of respect)original ↗

25 Feb 2019

People of Sumatra #14 (Mentawai Islands edition): Amantiru, shaman of Siberut original ↗

22 Feb 2019

Mentawai villages retain tribal traditions in part because it’s hard to get there original ↗

20 Feb 2019

People of Sumatra #12 & #13 (Mentawai Islands edition): Mageba and Simalaje original ↗

19 Feb 2019

Unrealistic fantasies about alternate existences are one of the joys of travel original ↗

18 Feb 2019

When getting lost is neither an adventure nor a misadventure, but just is what it is original ↗

15 Feb 2019

A Rat in My Soup: Looking for the best-tasting rodent in town original ↗

14 Feb 2019

People of Sumatra #11: Toikot, Mentawai shaman-elder of Siberut Island original ↗

13 Feb 2019

Travel Writer: Faith Adiele original ↗

12 Feb 2019

I acquired some of my best travel-superpowers teaching English in Asia original ↗

11 Feb 2019

People of Sumatra #10: Ling, the vagabonding host of Bukittinggi original ↗

10 Feb 2019

A few thoughts on the travel moments we leave out of our travel narratives original ↗

9 Feb 2019

When you’re a hungry traveler, following crowds is better than crowd-sourcing original ↗

8 Feb 2019

7 insights into telling a richer story through evocative details original ↗

7 Feb 2019

Mobile navigation apps have shaken up my lifelong romance with paper maps original ↗

6 Feb 2019

People of Sumatra #9: Zul (aka Bandalo) on the ebb of the Banana Pancake Trail original ↗

5 Feb 2019

A whimsical swim to Tarandam, Lake Maninjau’s island of giant bats original ↗

4 Feb 2019

People of Sumatra #8: Jonedi, the Minangkabau drifter (not dreamer)original ↗

3 Feb 2019

Sumatra has some of the best-value budget accommodation in the world original ↗

2 Feb 2019

Travel Writer: Adam Valen Levinson original ↗

1 Feb 2019

Taking travel-photos of local people is a different task than it was 20 years ago original ↗

31 Jan 2019

Field notes (and strategies) for riding a motorbike in the Sumatran highlands original ↗

30 Jan 2019

People of Sumatra #6 & 7: Mal and Siar, who waited out a rainstorm with me original ↗

29 Jan 2019

This is what happens when Instagram-influencer type waterfall selfies go wrong original ↗

28 Jan 2019

People of Sumatra #5: Minangkabau Joe, the Michael Jordan of cow-racing original ↗

27 Jan 2019

Sumatran “pacu jawi” cow races are a bizarre and delightful spectacle original ↗

26 Jan 2019

People of Sumatra #4: Ari, the Neal Cassady of the Trans-Sumatran Highway original ↗

25 Jan 2019

Vectors: 45 Aphorisms and Ten-Second Essays, by James Richardson original ↗

24 Jan 2019

Travel is never as perfect as what you see on Instagram (and this is a good thing)original ↗

23 Jan 2019

People of Sumatra #3: Boymen, the James Dean of Sindambur Village original ↗

22 Jan 2019

Geography nerds, take note! Danau Sidihoni is a lake on an island on a lake on an island original ↗

21 Jan 2019

People of Sumatra #2: Santi (who got her scarf caught in her motorbike sprockets)original ↗

20 Jan 2019

Yes, magic mushrooms are still very much a part of the Lake Toba backpacker scene original ↗

19 Jan 2019

Travel in Sumatra is cheap and amazing (and for that I am grateful)original ↗

18 Jan 2019

9 Outtakes from Pauline Kael’s “Trash, Art, and the Movies,”original ↗

17 Jan 2019

People of Sumatra #1: Ganda (aka “Propaganda”)original ↗

16 Jan 2019

Travel Writer: Celeste Brash original ↗

15 Jan 2019

Using (and hacking) paper travel guidebooks, 25 years on original ↗

12 Jan 2019

Writing About Places: The Travel Article original ↗

10 Jan 2019

Update: Winter 2019 original ↗

8 Jan 2019

13 tips for conducting an interview when reporting a story original ↗

3 Jan 2019

Travel Writer: Ken Ilgunas original ↗

1 Jan 2019

2018

Tomatoes, by Stephen Dobyns original ↗

27 Dec 2018

9 Outtakes from James Baldwin’s Paris Review interview original ↗

20 Dec 2018

Statistical Abstract for My Home of Spokane, Washington original ↗

13 Dec 2018

5 thoughts on the importance of character choices in screenwriting original ↗

6 Dec 2018

Travel Writer: Joshua Jelly-Schapiro original ↗

1 Dec 2018

Bus Stop, by Donald Justice original ↗

29 Nov 2018

“Indian Education,” by Sherman Alexie original ↗

15 Nov 2018

9 Outtakes from “Chuck Klosterman X”original ↗

8 Nov 2018

13 insights on the tortured process of writing original ↗

2 Nov 2018

Travel Writer: Kia Abdullah original ↗

1 Nov 2018

As if to Demonstrate an Eclipse, by Billy Collins original ↗

25 Oct 2018

“Politics and the English Language,” by George Orwell original ↗

18 Oct 2018

Six random insights from Henry Rollins’ 2018 Travel Slideshow original ↗

11 Oct 2018

5 insights on how (and when) to end your story or essay original ↗

3 Oct 2018

Travel Writer: Kimberley Lovato original ↗

1 Oct 2018