On The Road:
Not much has changed since John Steinbeck took to the road in Travels With Charley: crossing the continent more than twice over seems unfathomable, and every person I have met has expressed their wish to journey on the open road. Though my own journey will bring me to the far reaches of almost every continent, I share Steinbeck's awe and concern with this vast and often untamed land. There are only a couple of countries bigger than the states, so for most people across the globe the idea of traveling in ones country, unless legally forbidden, is not met with trepidation. Equally, few countries on earth have the massive swaths of wilderness, striking and dangerous, like those that predominate the American West. Like Steinbeck, my first stop on the American leg of my journey is Maine, then Deer Island, NB, however, I have purposefully not read past his departure from home, so that I may discover this land for myself.
Note: I know we all have to forget at least one thing before we leave for a trip, long or short, but of all things to forget: my motorcycle jacket?! Thankfully there is UPS, a city somewhere along the way, and a cousin who cares whether I will freeze to death.
On The Book:
My efforts to begin my book are curbed with a constant back and forth about whether it should be a novel or a collection of stories.This in turn brings me back to what I think should be the purpose of this book. I want "others" to know about our unique generation, and for "us" I want there to be record and a source for commiseration, because though we share many similarities, assimilation has dispersed us and our story and our shared identity. There also comes a question of plot and character development: do i want self contained ideas and stories that relate the diversity and experience of more people and situations, or, do I want to dig deeper into a few characters and develop them over time and attempt to bring out our collective experience through them?
So far Maine has brought forth reflections on modern society and less on the aforementioned dilemma...
Keep em coming, dude
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