Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 288 pages
- Published by: Three Rivers Press April 22, 2008
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0307394654
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0307394651
-
Book Dimensions:
8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
- Weighs: 8.5 ounces
Product Review
After pursuing an advanced degree in Latin American studies, Kohnstamm reluctantly took a position as a researcher at a large Wall Street firm. The restless author quickly tired of the corporate drudgery and, after some hesitation, accepted an assignment to update Lonely Planet's guidebook on Brazil. The resulting book (a "chronicle [of] events that took me from bourgeoisie working stiff with a repressed travel habit to a full-time mercenary travel hack, with all the good, bad, and surreal shit that it entails") is a wonderfully picaresque journey through the vibrant Brazilian landscape. Following a marathon bender through the streets of Manhattan with his friend, "the Doctor" (one of the book's many parallels to the work of Hunter S. Thompson), Kohnstamm departed for Rio de Janeiro with little more than his laptop and a few changes of clothes. He awoke the first morning in bed with Inga, a Lufthansa stewardess who proved to be one of many female companions bedded by Kohnstamm, who comes off here as quite the Casanova. Amidst the hard partying and endless nights, however, the author began to realize the difficulty of gathering adequate information about the countless locales he must visit. With his paltry funds dwindling, he reached out to previous Lonely Planet scribes, most of whom were far from reassuring: "Remember that if you are in your room at night writing, you aren't doing enough bar research." Along the way he befriended numerous memorable characters: Nils, a baggage handler from Copenhagen and singer for a grunge band, Synthetic Jesus; Inara, a Brazilian beauty who shares an apartment with the author for a couple of weeks (and who turns out to be a prostitute of sorts); Otto, formerly of the Israeli Defense Force; Mr. Yay, so named for his prodigious coke habit; and Bobby, from whom the author buys Ecstasy tablets in an effort to make some quick cash. Readers will relish the countless stories of the author's misadventures, but Kohnstamm brings more than just anecdotes: He offers a solid understanding of the mechanics of the travel-writing industry and a unique ability to illuminate that world to readers.
Notable for its spirited prose and insightful exploration of the less-romantic side of travel writing. Kohnstamm is one to watch.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Product Description
For those who think that travel guidebooks are the gospel truth.
The waitress suggests that I come back after she closes down the restaurant, around midnight. We end up having sex in a chair and then on one of the tables in the back corner. I pen a note in my Moleskine that I will later recount in the guidebook review, saying that the restaurant “is a pleasant surprise . . . and the table service is friendly.” –Thomas Kohnstamm, professional travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks
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.
Reader Reviews
I recently read another "tell-all" book on travel writing called "Smile When You're Lying." I found it to be quite enjoyable (see my review), so when I heard about "Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?" I figured I'd give it a shot. This lurid tale of the guidebook industry was worth reading, although I preferred the other book because that author was more relatable as a person. Much more relatable. Once upon a time, Thomas Kohnstamm was a highly educated twentysomething cubicle drone stuck in a real-life version of "The Office." One day he decided to chuck the whole thing and became a travel writer for guidebook colossus Lonely Planet. With no real writing background, he got the job and was dispatched to update an LP guidebook for Brazil. Our boy headed south and proceeded to party his way through a couple months of "travel research." He even found time to actually write here and there, although he did most of his best work close to deadline while fighting hangovers and struggling to make ends meet in less than virtuous ways. The author has a frat-boy vibe that I found a bit hard to bear at times, due to two parts disgust and perhaps one part envy. During his assignment he drank like a fish, did various drugs, partied with eccentric locals and dodgy travelers, and fornicated his way through Brazil like an Ugly American freight train. In between debaucheries, Mr. Kohnstamm makes travel guidebook writing seem about as appealing as chugging stale bong water in a Mexican jail. He ultimately hammers Lonely Planet's policy of underpaying its writers and offering them little support in the field while literally and figuratively expecting the world of them. And it appears that LP gets what it pays for: some of the publicity surrounding this book centers on allegations that the author played fast and loose with LP guidebook subject matter. Even though tainted by the above controversy (which the author denies, and in the end may or may not be a publicity stunt) I found Mr. Kohnstamm's take on the guidebook writing process intriguing, and his ability to deliver copy under pressure impressive. Despite limited writing experience, no real help from LP, impossible objectives, dire financial straits, and various other vacation-destroying obstacles, he managed to make deadline and satisfy Lonely Planet enough to earn a living with them. And he even got this memoir out of the deal. However, his success might be off-putting to those who are serious about writing and meticulous concerning facts. Aside from his incessant carnality, perhaps the most dismaying part of this book is the author's blasé approach to the craft. Indeed, writers toiling away in obscurity might find his Bluto Blutarsky approach (he says he's "a natural") to be maddening. But he can claim the title of "author," so it's hard to argue with success. Despite the above blemishes, I recommend "Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?" as an interesting peep show into the seamier side of travel guidebook writing, rashes and all. You may wish to leaven it with these somewhat more wholesome travel books: "Smile When You're Lying," "Honeymoon With My Brother," and "The Geography of Bliss."
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