Those who said that travel would forever change after the pandemic were certainly right, though perhaps not in the way they’d expected. Nowadays, everyone is traveling—or longing to travel, at least—and travel writing can be read nearly everywhere, in publications big and small, from Travel + Leisure and Afar, to The New York Times Magazine and The Atlantic, and beyond. These publications are meeting the moment by offering readers inspirational articles, service stories, reported features, best-of lists, and more to guide readers on their journeys. This class is an introductory compass to deciphering all of it—and, if one so desires, diving into the fray.

In this two-day intensive (taught over the course of two Saturdays), we will study travel articles published in magazines today to better understand the anatomy of different types of stories and how they function, thereby learning how to create similar travel stories of our own. On the first day of the weekend, students will develop their own story ideas through discussions of short articles (print and digital), as well as generative and brainstorming exercises. The second day will be dedicated to close reading reported features to scrutinize their craft, as well as a “pitch symposium” where students will volunteer to share their ideas and get feedback from the instructor.

This class is for students who are new to travel writing or those who wish to hone their skills in narrative place-based nonfiction. No prior writing experience is required. Potential authors to be read in and outside of class include: Maggie Shipstead, Gary Shteyngart, Saki Knafo, Ligaya Mishan, Stephanie Danler, Mary Holland, Betsy Andrews, Chris Schalkx, Christine Chitnis, and others. On both days of the weekend course, we will end with a short Q&A.

About the Instructor

Matt Ortile is an editor and writer who has taught creative writing seminars for the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, Tin House, Kundiman, Poets & Writers, PEN America, and elsewhere. He is the author of the essay collection The Groom Will Keep His Name and a co-editor of the essay anthology Body Language: Writers on Identity, Physicality, and Making Space for Ourselves. He is also an editor for print and digital at Condé Nast Traveler, and was previously the executive editor of the literary magazine Catapult prior to its closure.

The Art of Travel Writing: How to Read—and Write for—Travel Magazines, 2 session craft and generative class with Matt Ortile