Chasing A Phantom in San Miguel de Allende: Beat Inspiration Neal Cassady
Author: Neal Cassady
The city of San Miguel de Allende is a rock garden built into a chorus of hills and blooming with the vibrant colors of Mexico: ocher, rose, burnt orange, and bright green. Its narrow streets (sometimes comically so), which can be absurdly steep in the city's core, proudly display the stone work, carved wooden doors, arches, courtyards, balconies, and fountains dating from the time of the Spanish occupation in the 1600s. Rooftops, no more than three stories high, are graced with terraces and precariously placed potted cactuses. They frequently overflow with bright bougainvillea or other fragrant and colorful flowers.
Posted on Mon, Feb 01, 2010
Frances Calderon de la Barca: Life in Mexico
Author: Frances Calderon de la Barca
For the first time in my life, I was on my way to Mexico. Two things had brought this trip about: a surprise invitation to the wedding of my Mexican friend's daughter, and... a book. By chance, I had come across Life in Mexico, by Frances Calderon de la Barca, published in 1842. It had such an impact on my imagination that I decided on the spot to use it as my travel guide, well over 100 years after it was written.
Posted on Wed, Jan 20, 2010
Zelda Fitzgerald: The Roaring '20s Icon
Author: Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was one of the most celebrated figures of the 1920s. Along with her husband, novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda epitomized the spirit of the times: carefree, fun-loving, and living for the moment. In the early 1920s, Scott and Zelda had the world at their feet. Fitzgerald was a rising star in the literary world with the publication of his first novel, This Side of Paradise, and was seen as the unofficial spokesman for an entire generation. Zelda, meanwhile, is credited as being the first true "flapper" and symbol of the age in her own right.
Posted on Thu, Jan 07, 2010
Philip Roth: Goodbye Columbus, Hello Newark
Author: Philip Roth
I guess I felt a sort of kinship with Philip Roth. Well, vicariously anyway, through my dad. You see he, like Mr. Roth, is from New Jersey - he, from Jersey City and Roth from next-door Newark. Both grew up in Jewish households and both were the second children of first-generation American parents. So when I asked him if he had any familiarity with Newark, a major object of my focus in this article, I was expecting stories of the Roosevelt and Truman years, or what happened at the local theater. After all, he always talked about those things in regards to Jersey City, Union City, Manhattan, Bayonne, Hoboken, Atlantic City, and South Jersey, so why not Newark? Much to my astonishment though, he knew absolutely nothing about the city. Way to go, Dad.
Posted on Mon, Dec 14, 2009
Alexander Pushkin, I Loved You Linen Factory
Author: Alexander Pushkin
It was the sixth of June when the greatest Russian poet, Alexander Sergeevitch Pushkin, was born. It is on this very day that ordinary citizens rejoice in the birth of the founder of Russian poetry. In honor of him, I decided to celebrate the day at the township Linen Factory in the Kaluga region of Russia, where the poet and his wife settled down following their wedding.
Posted on Sun, Dec 06, 2009
Bleak Kaliningrad: Infused with the Happiness of Philosopher Immanuel Kant
Tightening the protective thickness of my long coat, I began to question whether or not coming here was a good idea. A crisp wind stung my cheeks and challenged the tree branches around me, as the gray wool of the sky stretched itself over the oblast of Kaliningrad, Russia. This tiny exclave of the enormous Mother Country is nestled in between Lithuania, Poland and the Baltic Sea. Originally the great capital city of East Prussia (then called Konigsberg), it was overtaken by Soviet brigades in 1945 and renamed Kaliningrad after the Bolshevik revolutionary Mikhail Kalinin.
Posted on Tue, Nov 24, 2009
Twilight Saga: A Modern Fairytale
Author: Stephanie Meyer
I had the novel in my possession for two weeks before attempting to read it. One day, I decided to see what all the hype was about. I entered the world of Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. This mesmerizing book captured me and took me into its arms. It did not let me go until I finished reading the last words. Twilight is a young adult book, so for me, a fully grown adult, it would be an easy read. But how could this youthful book be so engrossing, so captivating, so mesmerizing?
Posted on Mon, Nov 09, 2009
Amy Grace Loyd, Literary Editor of Playboy, Talks Nabokov and The Original of Laura
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Literary Traveler had a chance to catch up with Playboy magazine's literary editor, Amy Grace Loyd. The December issue, on stands November 10, 2009, is the release of Vladimir Nabokov's lost novella, The Original of Laura. Ms. Loyd discusses the details behind acquiring first serial rights and the longstanding literary tradition of Playboy magazine with LT's Network Editorial Director, Jennifer Ciotta.
Posted on Tue, Nov 03, 2009
Vladimir Nabokov in the Grand Canyon & the Discovery of Butterfly Neonympha
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
We looked out from the Yavapai viewpoint on the Southern Rim of the Canyon. Dusty pink rocks rose out of the gouged ground for miles around, cradling long grey shadows. A low ceiling of white clouds stretched into the distance. Even with a nearby child launching spit balls over the ledge, it was still beautiful. We deliberated about what to do next. We'd driven 400 miles, hours from Phoenix, to have a look. So we figured we could check that box and head to the bar. Vladimir Nabokov would have been disappointed with our initial lack of curiosity.
Posted on Mon, Nov 02, 2009
In Search of Vladimir Nabokov in St. Petersburg, Russia
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
I arrived in Saint Petersburg in the middle of September. I must admit that in autumn it is rather rainy there. However, when I bought tickets, I was sure that the weather would be great. I trusted my intuition and it didn't fail me. I looked up at the Triumphal Arc, one of the main symbols of the city, as if asking a blessing from it and opened my map. I was searching for Morskaya street, 47 where famed Russian author Vladimir Nabokov spent the first 18 years of his life. I was a bit surprised that Morskaya quay was situated not in the city center, but on Vasilievsky Island. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I was ambitious enough and obstacles like that did not frighten me.
Posted on Wed, Oct 28, 2009
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