Writing the first-person travel essay with matt ortile
Saturday, october 4th
2:00–4:30 pm ET
In this one-day seminar, students will study the fundamentals of the first-person travel essay. By reading published contemporary travel articles, we will study the use of the narrative “I” in travel magazine writing, as well as tried-and-true story “formulas.” Discussions of readings and generative exercises will offer students ideas for a travel essay of their own that they can continue to develop outside of class. For our purposes, we will distinguish between a first-person travel essay and a personal essay about travel: The latter privileges the self, emphasizes the writer’s intellectual and emotional discoveries; the former shifts its focus slightly, prioritizes instead the reader’s immersion in an exciting elsewhere by telling the story of that place—be it the local culture, history, environment, cuisine, or community. More than a matter of semantics, these distinctions can help us as writers 1) find multiple ways to tell a tale; 2) navigate the power dynamics between a journalist and their subject; and 3) sell an article to an editor for publication.
This class is for students who are new to travel writing or those who wish to hone their skills in narrative place-based nonfiction. No prior writing experience is required. Potential readings include works by Ligaya Mishan, Pico Iyer, Saki Knafo, Sarah Khan, John Wogan, and others. (Reading selections prior to class is highly encouraged; PDFs will be provided.)
Course Outline:
A short seminar on the goals and narrative techniques of a first-person travel essay
An in-class reading and analysis of an essay excerpt
A generative writing exercise (sharing with the class is optional)
Discussions of the essays read outside of class (feat. a questions-to-ask checklist)
A brief lecture on how to use research and reporting to develop essay ideas
A brainstorming exercise
Q&A, time permitting
eligibility:
This craft class is open to all writers of color. The non-refundable tuition fee is $50. This class will be held over Zoom. There are scholarship spots available, and the applications are open through Wednesday, September 17th.
REGISTer for this class here
Apply for a scholarship here
FACULTY:
Matt Ortile is the author of the essay collection The Groom Will Keep His Name and the co-editor of the nonfiction anthology Body Language. He is an editor at Condé Nast Traveler, and was previously the executive editor of Catapult magazine and the founding editor of BuzzFeed Philippines. He has written for Esquire, Vogue, AFAR, and elsewhere; has received fellowships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and MacDowell; and has taught creative writing classes at Kundiman, the Center for Fiction, PEN America, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, among other venues. He is a graduate of Vassar College, which means he now lives in Brooklyn.