Writing Travel Poetry

From a bleak bus ride through Glasgow at midnight, to a trans - Californian road trip, from summer in Dubrovnik and finding peace in a Spanish paradise, to a bumpy bus ride to Kampala and the Paris Metro at night... TRAVEL, the third of the Collections of Poetry and Prose book series, features 97 contributions from 46 writers and poets around the world, all writing in their own unique, wonderful and occasionally quirky way about their travels and experiences travelling. From rural towns and villages in Africa, Asia and India, and the tiny islands of Bahrain and Shetland, to the bustling metropolises of Europe, the Americas and Australasia, with many of the contributions reflecting the diverse backgrounds and cultures of the writers, TRAVEL explores the world and its people and culture in an undeniably unique and fascinating way.

Poems for Travellers transports the reader to lands far and near in the company of some of our greatest poets such as Walt Whitman, John Keats and Christina Rossetti. Part of the Macmillan Collectors Library series, featuring expert introductions for your favourite classics. As internationally acclaimed author Paul Theroux writes in his introduction, ‘Here is a collection of travel poetry composed by real travellers, weekending tourists, feverish fantasists, bluffers, dreamers, brave adventurers and resolute stay-at-homes. It succeeds in what poetry does best – inspires and consoles, reminds us of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we might want to go next.’

Examining a broad range of texts and travellers from across the world, the contributors discuss canonical authors such as Homer, Goethe, and Baudelaire, alongside lesser known writers such as Theodor Herzl, Hans Erich Nossack, and William Gibson. This theoretically rich volume draws connections between travel and narrative, and provides powerful insights into the relationship between travel and the spoken act of storytelling, as well as the more ambivalent act of story writing.

It might surprise you who’s a fan of poetry — when it meets them where they are. Before he became an award-winning writer and poet, Brian Sonia-Wallace set up a typewriter on the street with a sign that said “Poetry Store” and discovered something surprising: all over America, people want poems. An amateur busker at first, Brian asked countless strangers, “What do you need a poem about?” To his surprise, passersby opened up to share their deepest yearnings, loves, and heartbreaks. Hundreds of them. Then thousands. Around the nation, Brian’s poetry crusade drew countless converts from all walks of life. In The Poetry of Strangers, Brian tells the story of his cross-country journey in a series of heartfelt and insightful essays. From Minnesota to Tennessee, California to North Dakota, Brian discovered that people aren’t so afraid of poetry when it’s telling their stories. In “dying” towns flourish vibrant artistic spirits and fascinating American characters who often pass under the radar, from the Mall of America’s mall walkers to retirees on Amtrak to self-proclaimed witches in Salem. In a time of unprecedented loneliness and isolation, Brian’s journey shows how art can be a vital bridge to community in surprising places. Conventional wisdom says Americans don’t want to talk to each other, but according to this poet-for-hire, everyone is just dying to be heard. Thought-provoking, moving, and eye-opening, The Poetry of Strangers is an unforgettable portrait of America told through the hidden longings of one person at a time, by one of our most important voices today. The fault lines and conflicts which divide us fall away when we remember to look, in every stranger, for poetry.

Lover Mother Other is a collection of poetry and prose for womxn experiencing the ebb and flow of conflicting identities as they navigate love, loss, motherhood, and much, much more. There are three sections - Lover, Mother, and Other - and together they take the reader on a journey through the highs and lows of lust, loss and love, on to the profound challenges and deep love of motherhood, and then finally, into the many other identities, roles and experiences we encounter when you open your eyes and your heart to the many other ways womxn can be seen and heard and valued in this life without the labels of Lover or Mother. Each section tells its own story, and as a whole Lover Mother Other is a book with its own journey, one of constant hurting and healing, hurting and healing, hurting and healing.

'Poetry is what gets lost in translation.' --Robert Frost Giving voice to ''what gets lost in translation'' is the challenge every poet faces. With The Everything Writing Poetry Book, that challenge just got easier. Featuring examples from works of celebrated poets and instruction on communicating your ideas, this clear and accessible reference helps you gain confidence as you find your own voice. Written by a team who each hold a master’s degree and teach creative writing and literature, this easy-to-follow guide has all you need to take your work to the next level. With this handy guide, you will learn to: Create meter and rhyme Express your innermost thoughts Use imagery and metaphor Polish your word play Find your own rhythm Work with other writers and more The Everything Writing Poetry Book helps you make the most of this rewarding craft - whether you’re a fledgling poet or a seasoned wordsmith.

Primarily non-fiction, with some fiction and poetry,Literature and Travel is a collection travel writing written by writers around the world. This book relates travel to the process of education and suggests many ways to find meaning in the reading of travel literature and writing about experience as travel. The collection focuses on travel writing in a variety of ways: motive for travel, modes and places, social and moral issues in travel, race and gender, travel and personal growth, travel vs. home. Anyone interested in reading literature centered around the theme of travel.