Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?

Download or read book Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? written by Thomas Kohnstamm and published by Crown. This book was released on 2008-04-22 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For those who think that travel guidebooks are the gospel truth. WANTED: Travel Writer for Brazil QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED Decisiveness: the ability to desert your entire previous life–including well-salaried office job, attractive girlfriend, and basic sanity for less than minimum wage Attention to detail: the skill to research northeastern Brazil, including transportation, restaurants, hotels, culture, customs, and language, while juggling sleep deprivation, nonstop nightlife, and excessive alcohol consumption Creativity: the imagination to write about places you never actually visit Resourcefulness: utilizing persuasion, seduction, and threats, when necessary, to secure a place to stay for the evening once your pitiable advance has been (mis)spent Resilience: determination to overcome setbacks such as bankruptcy, disillusionment, and an ill-fated one-night stand with an Austrian flight attendant As Kohnstamm comes to personal terms with each of these job requirements, he unveils the underside of the travel industry and its often-harrowing effect on writers, travelers, and the destinations themselves. Moreover, he invites us into his world of compromising and scandalous situations in one of the most exciting countries as he races against an impossible deadline.