1. Travel Essay
1. Travel Essay (1500 words or more) Write a travel essay on a topic of your choice. In this
unit, we will read first-person narratives in which journalists use creative non-fiction
techniques to describe a travel experience. Travel essays are usually personal stories
describing some aspect of experiencing another place or culture. In contrast to op-ed
writing, travel writing may not contain an explicit argument, but, rather, is unified by a
central theme. While travel essays may be of various lengths, they often run long, with use
of detailed description, dialogue, and other story-telling techniques We will discuss
examples representing a range of sub-genres and topics in travel writing: travel to
controversial locations or so-called “dark tourism,” encounters with natives, adventure
travel, unexpected insights in traveling to iconic locations, the American road trip, travel to
discover one’s roots or oneself, and even a broader definition of “travel” to encompass
immigrants, refugees, or those who live abroad for a longer time. We will read travel essays
published in a variety of magazines for diverse audiences. Some of these essays have also
been reprinted in the Best American Travel Writing annual series. 2. Burkean Analysis of
Identification/Difference (300 words or more) In this unit, we will discuss Kenneth Burke’s
rhetorical concepts of identification and difference; as you can see from the traveling gazes
rhetorical frame provided on Canvas, these concepts, while applicable to many genres,
provide a particularly relevant framework for understanding travel writing. To accompany
your travel essay, provide a Burkean analysis discussing the role of identification and
difference in your travel essay. Address the following questions: a. What is the rhetorical
situation of your travel essay? (purpose/context/target audience/potential publication
venue). b. How do identification and difference figure in your travel experience? c. What
types of identification and difference do you expect from your audience? (What types of
readers do you expect? Will they be similar or different from you in their perceptions of the
travel destination or experience you relate? How did you adapt your writing to appeal to
this audience?)#Travel #Essay
