Paul Theroux on aging, slow travel, and the inherent complexity of Mexico

November 05, 2019 00:48:46
Paul Theroux on aging, slow travel, and the inherent complexity of Mexico
Deviate
Paul Theroux on aging, slow travel, and the inherent complexity of Mexico

Nov 05 2019 | 00:48:46

/

Hosted By

Rolf Potts

Show Notes

“A writer tends to notice things that other people do not notice. And they are noticing so they can write about it.” – Paul Theroux

In this episode of Deviate, Paul Theroux and Rolf discuss their travels through Mexico and magical realism (4:30); teaching as a way to get to know a country and the importance of reading (20:00); and Paul’s experience traveling along the US-Mexico border and geo-political complexities between the two countries (29:00).

Paul Theroux (@PaulTheroux_) is a pioneer of travel writing and author of many highly acclaimed books, including The Great Railway Bazaar and The Tao of Travel. His work has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian. In 2015, Paul Theroux was awarded a Royal Medal from the Royal Geographical Society – an award, approved by the Queen, which is the highest award attainable for a traveler. His latest book, On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey, was released last month. He last talked with Rolf on Deviate Episode 31, “Paul Theroux on the art of listening, and the necessary obstacles of deep travel.”

Notable Links:

This episode of Deviate is brought to you by Tortuga Backpacks, which set the standard for the best, most durable, organized, and comfortable travel backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. If you’ve ever planned a trip with multiple stops, you know that finding the right flights can be difficult. Between balancing travel logistics and cost, it often becomes impossible to build an itinerary that matches your travel goals.  AirTreks is a distributed travel company with employees working from all corners of the world to help with your flight planning, specializing in complex routes with up to 25 stops. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].

Other Episodes

Episode

July 17, 2018 01:16:32
Episode Cover

Celebrating the best places to live (and the quest for home) in America

“We all have different priorities in life, and there is a place for each of us where we can live according to what those...

Listen

Episode 191

June 28, 2022 01:01:03
Episode Cover

Refuse to be Done: The art of creative persistence for long-haul projects

“The noun part of “writer” seems to require outside validation, but the verb part of it — “writing” — is something you’re either doing...

Listen

Episode

July 11, 2018 00:33:29
Episode Cover

On American Highways II: A brief history of the Negro Motorist Green Book

“The traditional black experience is not the traditional white experience, so until we recognize that I don’t think it’s going change. But I think...

Listen