Writing
I’ve written two books (see below) plus all manner of feature stories, essays, and other pieces for The New York Times, Slate, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Smithsonian.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Gastro Obscura, Newsday, City Pages, Lit Hub, Heavy Table, and many other publications large and small.
The Not-Quite States of America
Three years and 31,000 miles in the making, this history-rich travelogue offers an unprecedented examination of the U.S. territories/colonies—Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—and their role in the American story, past and present.
“One will never think about the United States in quite the same way after this enjoyable read.” — Booklist
Smithsonian Top 10 Travel Books of 2017
Goodreads Notable Nonfiction (top five) for February 2017
Published by W.W. Norton in 2017
Europe on Five Wrong Turns a Day
In the late 1960s, my mom did a Grand Tour of Europe as one of the original hippie travelers. Forty years later, I followed in her footsteps across eight countries, guided by her old letters and a 1963 copy of Europe on Five Dollars a Day, and nothing else—no internet research, no modern guidebooks. This is the story of how the tourist trail has changed in the last generation.
“An amusing and a wonderful read.” — Arthur Frommer
A National Geographic Traveler Book of the Month
Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers
Published by Perigee/Penguin in 2012
Essays in anthologies
The ’Cue Quest
My dad is a barbecue obsessive. For years, we’d talked about doing a father-son road trip to eat the good stuff in Kansas City. Finally, when I was in my late 20s, we did it—and found a bonding experience we hadn’t expected.
Published in A Moveable Feast (Lonely Planet, 2011)
Segways in Minneapolis
One day, I decided to become a Segway tour guide on the Minneapolis riverfront. Some notes on the work of telling history while helping customers avoid falling off a robotic scooter and breaking their fibulas in the city’s most picturesque spots. Also a love story.
Published in Under Purple Skies (Belt, 2019)
A few other personal favorites
The Communities Lost When Restaurants Close (for The Counter)
Oaxacans, Mormons, and a Bag of Chips: A Brief History of the Walking Taco (for Heavy Table)
Why Political Journalists Love Diners (for The Counter)
It’s Time to Have a Conversation About the U.S. Territories (for Slate)
The True Story of the Memphis Pyramid (for Lonely Planet)
Go Your Own Way: Notes on Guidebooks (for The Morning News; notable selection for both Best American Travel Writing and Best American Essays)
Seven Travel Rules From a Brooding Teenager (for World Hum)
Interpreting America at a Book Fair in Minsk (for Literary Hub; notable selection for Best American Travel Writing)
Scenes From a Midwest Diner (for City Pages)
Guam Beyond the Headlines (for The New York Times)
We Need to Talk About the Insular Cases (for Slate)
The Old Ba’ Game (for The South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
The Real Me (for The Morning News)
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