cups & mugs
traveling & writing self
the collected essays that comprise the traveling and writing self examine the critical relationship between the journey the author of the travel narrative and published and private texts . contributors draw attention to the performed nature of the travel writers self emphasizing that the carefully crafted persona of the traveler protagonist is a fiction . the travelers identity is frequently in flux negotiating between social convention literary convention personal motivations and nationalist agendas . the traveling and writing self is a notable addition to studies of travel writing because the contributors explore several genres in addition to the traditional accounts of the journey ; these genres include histories of exploration diaries memoir poetry film and short story . not limited to a specific historical era or geographical location individual chapters explore the work of rebecca solnit isak dinesen melinda atwood william byrd e. j. pratt beatrice grimshaw and louisa may alcott . from each we learn that perhaps the most interesting subject of any travel account is the author .