Adam Williams's Blog

Posted by Adam Williams

Part Two of the Jesse WhiteCrow interview is now available: Interview with the Writer Who Crossed America.

Three years doing anything these days seems like a substantive amount of time. Three years spent walking alone across a continent must seem like a lifetime of sorts.

Each day, as Jesse explains, must be lived in full to its end, free of worries about days, weeks, months, years ahead. The only concern must be the present concern. Each day is life and death.

In the second part of the Q&A series with Jesse, he talks about how difficult it has been to return to a somewhat "civilized" existence. I say "somewhat" because he is living in a 60-year-old Airstream trailer in the New England woods. And he still lives his days largely in solitude.

He is coping with transitioning from a life of mere survival in which he faced wild animals -- moose, bears, boars, snakes, etc. -- and wild humans (he once was shot at).

In the series of interviews he graciously has granted me and Suite101, Jesse shares his struggle to re-sort this monumental, life-changing experience into a book.

He began his walk across America as a man on a mission. He became a writer, blogger (WhiteCrow Walking) and more recently a book author-in-progress.

Posted by Adam Williams

I met Jesse WhiteCrow in the summer of 2006.

I was on a mission of my own, driving the country for three months, living in a classic VW bus. While driving south along the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, a man walking in the same direction, beneath a bobbing umbrella that shaded him from the hot southern sun, caught my attention.

I drove past, and stopped at a rest area -- and waited for the walking stranger to arrive.

Jesse and I spent about 90 minutes exchanging stories and sharing snacks. We've never talked face to face since that day, but we've remained friends.

For nearly two years after I returned to "civilization," reaching deeper into my career as a writer, Jesse kept plodding across North America, through all seasons, across all terrains.

He faced wild animals and once was shot at -- among countless other joys and dangers. His was an uncommon walk; his is an uncommon view of America.

I consider us lucky to have him be able to share so much of those intimate details with us through his blog -- WhiteCrow Walking -- and through his forthcoming book.

I've interviewed Jesse about his writing along this journey. I've asked how he managed it despite the life-and-death trek he kept at for three years. I've asked about the process of being this sort of writer.

I've asked. Jesse has answered.

Posted by Adam Williams

Travel books have their list of classics like any other genre.

The same titles often roll off the tongues of travel enthusiast after travel enthusiast.

Often enough that's with fantastic reason: the writing, the adventure, the voice, the experience, the true-life fantasy is so gripping it deserves the high acclaim and readership.

But just because others have voted these books onto the various "Best Travel Books Ever" lists put out by magazines, travel guidebook publishers and Web zines, doesn't mean you will think it's the greatest ever.

After all, many of those lists don't even agree with each other. They overlap here and there, but they don't necessarily agree. So to get you started, I've worked through some of those disagreements for you, helping you straight to the fan-voted top of the pile.

I've taken five of the top list-making travel publications out there, cross-referenced their favorite book titles and come up with what the most frequently voted ones are. I've outlined them in two articles (a third one will be published next week): 10 Greatest Travel Books of All Time and Another Five Best Travel Book Classics.

After that, you're going to have to give the books you choose a look-over for yourself. If you agree or disagree with what the general travel reading population out there says, leave a comment here.

We can keep a running tally of Suite101 travel readers' favorites and least favorites -- and then dub that list the new bestest "Best Travel Books Ever" list.

Posted by Adam Williams

I've been trying to remember exactly how Internet use became such a significant part of daily life.

I got my first email account in college. I would periodically check my email at the campus computer lab.

My memories of that are sketchy. I figure that's because I probably wasn't exchanging many emails with anyone, unlike now when I'll check my inbox dozens of times a day. Can you imagine if the mail man stopped by your house 30 times a day, and on 27 of those trips it was only to say, "You have no mail."

Only four years ago I was refusing to ever have a Web log (blog). I had received a writing fellowship for a travel writing project to roam the middle of America known as Flyover Land. People wanted me to start a blog. Reluctantly -- very reluctantly -- I did.

It didn't amount to much. A number of friends and family paid some attention. But I was clueless about maximizing its potential.

The good news is that blogging has greatly evolved in just the few years since I made that vagabonding trip -- and my first foray into the blogosphere.

Travel writing on blogs and Web sites now can be mass-marketed through numerous social media sites. They can be used as income-earning ventures, whether independently operated or with blog networks and Web-zines.

The world of publishing has changed; it still is growing to, as of yet, unpredictable heights. For anyone interested in travel writing -- or reading -- Internet-based publications are worth serious consideration.

There will continue to be travel guidebook writing as well as travel journalism opportunities for some time to come. But the Internet is not going away, and the travel writing sites that are out there are only getting stronger.

Who'd have thought? Probably, not me.

Posted by Adam Williams

The super-fantastic opportunity with this Travel section is the combination of factual, well-researched stories that myself and other freelance writers contribute, along with this blog.

In this blog, you get me, the real me, my real voice and thoughts and opinions -- and even questions addressed to you, because I want your feedback (email and/or comments).

I'm excited to have this role with Suite101. Traveling, travel reading and travel publishing has been an enormous part of my life. I love talking about all of it with others who likewise crave these opportunities.

Hopefully I will give you a bit of advice here and there, whether on how to begin and/or grow your own writing career, or just by tipping you off to the best -- and worst? Is there such a thing? -- travel books out there.

And, hopefully, you will give me some tips and information too. To do that, I welcome your emails and comments, as mentioned before, but I also will post a weekly travel-related poll.

With those polls, sometimes you'll be able to help guide me toward topics and ideas -- and future poll questions and multiple-choice answers -- that fascinate you; other times, we'll just have some silly fun.

To know more about me, my background and personal interests, visit my profile. Then contact me and tell me a bit about what you want to read about in this travel section. We'll build this thing together.