Aug
30
Visionary Travel Writing
August 30, 2011 | 3 Comments
What is a “Visionary” Travel Writer? What is a “visionary” writer in general? How about a writer who considers the spiritual, cultural, social, emotional, physical, psychological, racial, and political context in which they travel and write, not to mention live and breathe. Where ever you go there you are, right? We take ourselves everywhere. So a visionary writer is one who travels first into the miraculously complex depths of their own soul, and is willing to look at and express the whole kit and kaboodle, the “full catastrophe”—dark AND light, joy AND sorrow, beauty AND terror—with humility, insight, humor, and integrity.
Aug
30
Laura Fraser’s Mexican Writing Fiesta Oct. 23-29, San Miguel de Allende
August 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment
| October 23, 2011 | to | October 29, 2011 |
Immerse yourself in writing, relaxing, and exploring one of Mexico’s most beautiful colonial towns. The workshop is intimate, with a maximum of nine students, and held in a luxurious villa in the center of town, with lots of nooks and terraces for writing, reading, and dreaming. Workshop includes daily writing sessions in the morning, a reception, lunch at the villa, a cooking class and lunch in the country, a tour of town, an excursion to a private folk art museum, and a celebratory dinner and reading. $995 does not include airfare or accommodations (we’ll help arrange those). Visit Laura’s website for details and photos.
Aug
30
Grocery shopping in Thailand
August 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment
How close to a train track can you set up a vegetable market? Watch this video to find out.
Apr
19
Windland Smith Rice International Photo Contest
April 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment
| May 2, 2011 | ||
| 12:00 am |
Call for entries: The annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition deadline is just days away! Enter your best nature photography before May 2, 2011 for a chance to exhibit your work at the Smithsonian.
The Nature’s Best Photography concept began with simple yet dynamic goals: to celebrate the beauty and diversity of nature through the art of photography, and to use this far-reaching medium as a creative tool for encouraging greater public interest in outdoor enjoyment and conservation stewardship.
Apr
19
Creating iPhone Apps | Tales Told From The Road
April 19, 2011 | 1 Comment
Thanks to travel writer Dick Jordan (Tales Told from the Road) for his review of the App Happy class Suzanne Rodriguez and I (Laurie McAndish King) taught for people who want to develop and market their own mobile travel apps. We developed so much content for the class that we’re nearly finished with an an e-book on the same topic.
Mar
7
MacArthur Foundation Accepting Proposals for Documentary Film Grants
March 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment
| June 1, 2011 |
Posted on February 23, 2011
Deadline: June 1, 2011
The Media, Culture, and Special Initiatives program at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is accepting proposals for its 2011 documentary film grants program.
The program seeks to fund documentary film projects that address the significant social challenges of our time or explore important but under-reported topics. Domestic and international topics are welcome; preference will be given to projects that align with one of MacArthur’s grantmaking areas. Support will be provided primarily for production and post-production activities (although some of the funds may be used for pre-production or outreach activities). Documentary stories that will be told both in film and a second medium are encouraged.
Feb
21
Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
February 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment
| April 1, 2011 | ||
| 12:00 am |
It’s time to begin gathering your best work over the past year to enter in the 27th Annual Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.
All information and entry materials are posted online at satwf.com. SATW has made a number of changes this year, including more categories for online work. Sign up here to receive updates by email. Entries must be postmarked by April 1.
Dec
7
Ocean Views Photography Contest
December 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| December 19, 2010 |
Waves and weather, feeding and breeding, tropical and temperate reefs, seashores and sunken vessels … if you have a great ocean photo, check out the Ocean Views contest. Entries are due by December 20; top prize is a one-week dive trip.
Nov
17
Literary Abruzzo and The Heart of Memoir
November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| June 12, 2011 | to | June 18, 2011 |
Helen Free and
Kathryn Abajian held a memorable and inspiring workshop this past summer in Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Now they are excited to announce their extended program for June 12 – 18, 2011: Literary Abruzzo and The Heart of Memoir, a unique and inspiring literary experience in a less traveled and intriguing area of Italy.
Their website, ItalyInOtherWords.com, provides details about the new program, as well as photos and endorsements from last summer’s program.
Nov
17
Northern Lights Awards for Excellence in Travel Journalism and Photography
November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| February 15, 2011 |
Thanks to Karen Misuraca for forwarding this information:
It’s that time of year to submit your best tourism-oriented stories and photos published on Canada in 2010. The 14th annual Northern Lights Awards for Excellence in Travel Journalism and Photography is open to magazines, newspapers, independent writers, photographers and Internet reporters in North America, published in either French or English outlets. Entries for the competition must be postmarked by February 15, 2011. The complete rules and entry form are available online.
Sep
28
Travel Writing and Photography in Jordan
September 28, 2010 | 2 Comments
| February 6, 2011 | to | February 16, 2011 |
Petra Treasury © John Montgomery
Award-winning travel writer Diane LeBow and award-winning photographer John Montgomery will lead a travel writing and photography workshop in Jordan from February 6-16, 2011. Tour coordinator Alena Bartoli, an American and a Yale graduate, has lived and worked in Jordan for several years.
More info about the Jordan Tour is on the downloadable PDF. A $200 discount is available for travelers who register before November 1.
Sep
28
Photography class
September 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 2, 2010 | to | October 3, 2010 |
Jak Wonderly is offering a photography workshop on October 2nd and 3rd in Petaluma, California, and has just a couple of spots still open. If you or someone you know is interested in deepening skills with a digital SLR camera, this is an excellent opportunity.
Jak’s website shows examples of his photography, and some of his beautiful animal portraits are here.
Sep
3
Solas Awards deadline is September 21
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| September 21, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
The Solas Awards are an annual competition to find the best writing being done about the world today. The Travelers’ Tales editors will choose winners in 21 categories ranging from adventure to humor, from destination to memoir, and everything in between. The grand prize category has cash awards of $1,000, $750, and $500; all other category winners receive a certificate and a copy of the most recent edition of THE BEST TRAVEL WRITING or THE BEST WOMEN’S TRAVEL WRITING. Plus, winners may be published in Travelers’ Tales books. Check out BestTravelWriting.com for details.
Sep
3
PhotoPhilanthropy: Change the world, one photo at a time
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 1, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
From the American Society of Media Photographers: PhotoPhilanthropy promotes and connects photographers with non-profit organizations around the world to tell the stories that drive action for social change. The PhotoPhilanthropy website provides a space for photographers, photo enthusiasts and non-profits to come together for collaboration, inspiration, and action.
Each photographer whose work is accepted receives a page on our website and exposure to a growing audience of concerned and committed global citizens.
Jun
28
| July 15, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
Photo: Creative Learning
Here’s an organization that’s working to promote peace by supporting American volunteerism in mostly-Muslim parts of the world. That’s a cause worth supporting!
And they have announced an essay contest and a video contest. If I had done anything that qualified, I’d definitely enter this contest. The prizes are real ($2,000 for the 1st place video; $1,000 for the first place essay) and my guess is that there won’t be a huge number of competing entries. Deadline is July 15, 2010.
“America’s Unofficial Ambassadors
Jun
26
Book Passage Travel, Food & Photography Conference
June 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
| August 12, 2010 12:00 am | to | August 15, 2010 12:00 am |
Time to make your plans for the 19th Annual Book Passage Travel, Food, & Photography Conference. It promises to be better than ever this year, with inclusion of food writing classes and panels, as well as expert advice and instruction for travel writers and photographers. The conference runs from August 12 to 15, 2010. Call Book Passage in Corte Madera (800-999-7909, ext. 239) for more information or to register.
From the website:
The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference covers
Jun
26
Celebrate with Joanna Biggar
June 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| July 12, 2010 | ||
| 6:00 pm |
Congratulations to journalist, poet, essayist, traveler, and writing instructor Joanna Biggar, whose new novel, That Paris Year, has inspired a lively west coast debut. All are invited to celebrate with food, music, and Paris-style ambiance at the reading.
SF Book Passage at the Ferry Building, Monday, July 12, beginning at 6 p.m.
Joanna will read from That Paris Year, a “novel in which intellect, eroticism, and art reverberate from the page to the heartbeat of the City of Light, Joanna Biggar has written an American book with the sweep and elegance of French literary tradition.”
Jun
26
| July 22, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Grover Sanschagrin
From our friends at ASMP NorCal:
Join us on July 22nd at Blue Sky Rental Studios as PhotoShelter co-founder Grover Sanschagrin demonstrates how web sites must evolve in order to support photographers’ online business goals.
Grover’s talk draws on 26 years of photo industry and web technology experience as well as the research and findings of five PhotoShelter e-books he has helped to author on online marketing for photographers. (These exhaustive reports are free downloadable guides offering useful tips, expert advice and useful strategies for photographers looking to continue their education and build thriving photo businesses online.)
Apr
26
Send your book to BEA
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The 2010 BookExpo America New Title Showcase takes place May 25-27 in New York City. Register your Lulu print-on-demand book by May 7th and Lulu will display it physically at their New Title Showcase booth and will also list it, along with your contact details, online and in the printed catalog given to BEA attendees. The cost is $399.
Apr
26
A Thousand and One Words – Find your Writing Setpoint
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| May 29, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
| June 3, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
| June 19, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
Check out this writing workshop with Camille Cusumano, who brings more than 30 years of experience in publishing as researcher, writer, editor, and instructor in a vast array of subject areas including essay, memoir, food, travel, fitness, health, mind/body/spirit, creative non-fiction, fiction, and more.
WRITE WITH CONFIDENCE AND FLAIR
Apr
26
Write and Sell Your Book Now!
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 1, 2010 | to | October 6, 2010 |
April 26 update: here’s a link to a video with more info about the writing workshop in Bali.
Robin Sparks is at it again: The Write and Sell Your Book Now! workshop will be in Ubud, Bali from October 1st to 6th, 2010. It is followed by the Ubud Writers Festival. Register for the workshop before April 15 for a $300 discount on the workshop, plus a discount on the festival. Maximum 15 participants.
Apr
6
| June 18, 2010 |
April 6 addendum: thanks to Constance Hale for pointing out that “The first 40 people to register get a one-on-one meeting with an editor, so it’s a good idea to register early.”
March 29 addendum: Here’s the link we’ve been waiting for: freelance.stanford.edu. Registration opens April 9th for ASJA members and Knight Fellows, and April 16th for other experienced journalists.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Thanks to Connie Hale for forwarding this information about an upcoming class at Stanford: June 18-19, 2010 ~Â Stanford University
Sponsored by The Knight Fellowships and the American Society for Journalists and Authors
Mar
29
Smartphones and the Future of Photo Publishing
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| April 13, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
You know you need to go: The Northern California chapter of the Society of American Media Photographers (ASMP) presents: Smartphones and the Future of Photo Publishing.
“If you thought the personal computer revolution of the 1980s and the Internet revolution of the 1990s were big, well, they were. But a new revolution merging the best features of personal computing, instant anywhere, anytime communication, and carry-everywhere portability promises to dwarf them both.
Mar
29
I’ll be teaching at the 26th annual Central Coast Writers Conference on September 17th and 18th, 2010.
March 29, 2010 | 1 Comment
| September 17, 2010 | to | September 18, 2010 |
Fellow travel writer Diane LeBow and I (Laurie McAndish King) will teach three classes at the 26th annual Central Coast Writers Conference on September 17th and 18th, 2010. Class descriptions are below. Registration info is here. If you register before July 29, the conference is only $129—a real bargain. And the Inn at Morro Bay is offering a good deal as well.
Travel as a Basis for Creative Writing and Publishing: a 3-part series
Mar
29
Travel Writing: Map Out the Route to Your Dream Profession, with Lisa Alpine
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| May 15, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
“Do you love to travel? Keep a travel journal? Why not take the next step and turn your daily scribbles into salable articles? You can do this by learning two things: 1) how to improve your storytelling abilities, and 2) how to market your work. ‘I’ll lead you through the steps of writing a travel story and then targeting and querying your markets [short story anthologies, newspapers, magazines and ezines],’ says instructor Lisa Alpine. ‘We’ll also discuss ways to generate other travel-related sources of income,