WILD CARD WEEK…Oh boy!
I came up with what I thought was a really fun idea and I hope you will too. When I suggested it, my co-host and good sport, Sara Whitford, was quick to agree. While this A WRITER’S JOURNEY series is about helping aspiring writers get from blank page to published, I think it should include some fun things that pertain to writing but not necessarily to the writing a novel process.
So, I got to thinking that we could offer WILD CARD WEEK every few weeks. This week is our first and a combination of my two favorite things: writing and traveling. So go ahead and listen and learn why these places have special meaning for writers (but are great places for anyone to visit)…but before you do take a minute and write down your five best guesses–and then listen to see if you’re right. Remember, these places boast a strong literary connection AND offer certain attractions and ambiance that I feel is inspirational for writers.
Also, I wanted to mention that Sara has some good writing tips posted on her site that you might want to check out: www.sarawhitford.com
#5. London (England) is home to legendary sleuth, Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolfe, and Geoffrey Chaucer, who was the first poet buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.
What Writers Might Want To Do While Here: 221B Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes Museum), Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, Westminster Abbey, Literary London Pub Walk, Thames River Cruise, London Eye (Dr Who fans will recognize this as the transmitter for the Nestene Consciousness in the episode ‘Rose’ and may also want to do a Dr Who Walking Tour), British Library, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (is home to lots of famous people including writers, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and J.K. Rowling), and Tower of London. The Tower of London is one of the world’s most famous buildings, dating back more than 900 years. It includes the royal palace, prison, arsenal, jewel house and zoo. And outside of London is Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey), Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Stonehenge. www.visitlondon.com
Fun Trivia: The Tower of London is home to not only the Crown Jewels, but also a bevy of ravens. These six ravens (with a seventh in reserve) are believed to protect the Crown; according to superstition, if these Tower of London ravens “are lost or fly away,” The British Empire will fall.
Pictured here are two of the seven ravens perched on Tower Green, which was where executions were conducted before being moved to Tower Hill.
MERCER HOUSE
#4. Savannah (Georgia) is best known for Author John Berendt’s novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but other notable writers include Flannery O’Connor, Pulitzer Prize winner Conrad Aiken, Mary Kay Andrews, Beth Hoffman, songwriter Johnny Mercer, and cookbook author, Paula Deen.
What Writers Might Want To Do: Trolley tour of Historic District where you’ll see lots of historic homes and sites, such as Mercer House, Flannery O’Connor’s house, and Bonaventure Cemetery. Other attractions include the Juliette Gordon Low Museum (Girl Scout Founder; visited by thousands of girl scouts annually), Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, City Market, and River Street, which is home to 75 artists studios, galleries, shops, pubs, and eateries. Be sure to note all the innovative statutes and sculptures that are all over Savannah, which were created by students enrolled at the renowned Savannah College of Art and Design, whose buildings are also scattered all over Savannah. Be sure to visit Leopold’s Ice Cream Restaurant, which has been a tasty, local icon since 1935. www.visitsavannah.com
Special Events: Savannah Book Festival is a long-standing tradition and features well-known contemporary writers and workshops.
#3. New Orleans (Louisiana) is home to many writers, including Ann Rice and William Faulkner.
What Writers Might Want To Do: Ride a streetcar, take a ghost walk, French Quarter, St. Louis Cemetery #1 (look for famous gravesites and crypts, including, the legendary Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau), New Orleans Arts District, Mardis Gras World, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, Insectarium, Café Du Monde (for best beignots), Red Fish Grill, and Galatoire’s. Hotel Monteleone has writers’ themed suites based on previous occupants, such as Truman Capote, John Grisham, Stephen Ambrose, and Tennessee Williams. For music and nightlife, check out Snug Harbor, Blue Nile, Carousel, and Cure. http://www.neworleanscvb.com
#2. New York City (New York) has been home, at least briefly, to more writers than you can count, such as Edgar Allen Poe, Dorothy Parker, Mark Twain, Dylan Thomas, and John Steinbeck.
What a Writer Might Want To Do: Whitehorse Tavern, Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park, Novel NY (NYC sites featured in ten popular novels), Sightseeing Cruise, Statue of Liberty, NY Public Library, Grand Central (more than lovely 100-year-old train depot, also great shops and restaurants), Film Forum, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Little Branch (for cocktails), Times Square, Bergdorf’s, FAO Schwarz Toy Co (1862), Broadway show, and Chumley’s. http://www.nycgo.com/
Special Events: LitCrawl: Where Literature Hits the Streets
#1. Key West (Florida) where Ernest Hemingway wrote many classics (including A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Snows of Kilimanjaro), Tennessee Williams wrote Night of the Iguana and Summer and Smoke, and Jimmy Buffet wrote several books, including A Pirate Looks At Fifty. Other notable writers include U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Frost, Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Bishop, Judy Blume, John Hersey, and Nancy Friday.
What a Writer Might Want To Do: Hemingway’s House & Museum on Whitehead St (pictured here) is a National Historic Landmark and includes his colony of six-toed cats. Sloppy Joe’s Bar is an icon and was once owned by a good fishing and drinking buddy of Hemingway’s (and Hemingway’s favorite watering hole. Note: This is new Sloppy Joe’s Bar. The original site was where present day Captain Tony’s Saloon sits. Blue Heaven Restaurant serves great Caribbean cuisine. Tennessee Williams Theatre on campus of FL Keys Community College. Windsor Lane Compound (home to many famous writers, such as Ralph Ellison, who wrote The Invisible Man and John Hersey, author of Hiroshima). Key West Aquarium, Key West Botanical Garden, Butterfly Conservatory, Dry Tortugas National Park, Ghost Walk, and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant and bar. www.keywest.com
Special Events: Hemingway Days Festival includes literary readings, a Hemingway look-alike contest, and short story competition. Key West Literary Seminar is held every January and features top writers discussing their works.
Our AWJ series is also available through iTunes at:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/writers-journey-from-blank/id911131840
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