Inspired Journeys: Travel Writers in Search of the Muse

Bouldrey (Honorable Bandit: A Walk Across Corsica) edits this collection of "secular pilgrimages" around the world, redefining what a pilgrimage can be. Part 1 focuses on "Chasing the Muse," where the "pilgrims" seek out birthplaces, places of death, and famous sites for authors and artists. In "Little Log Houses for You and Me," Kimberly Meyer revisits her childhood obsession on a road trip to places from Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. Trebor Healy attempts to re-create Jack Kerouac's journeys in Dharma Bums, complete with hiking in a jock strap on some of the very same trails the Beat author traversed. Part 2, or, "Carrying the Bones," describes pilgrimages inspired by death and loss of family. Jivin Misra struggles with a lack of understanding of Indian culture after bringing his father's body on a pilgrimage to the holy Hindu city of Varanasi. In "An Accidental Pilgrimage," Russell Scott Valentino claims, "Travel for its own sake is always a search for God," while he attempts to discover the deepest of family roots.