JimBenning.Net » Jim Benning

The Pinnacle of my Career

Jim Benning — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:12:26 +0000

I’ve arrived. I made this list.

Now excuse me while I get back, soulfully, to my poetry.

sample video

Jim Benning — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:10:50 +0000

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Talking Travel Writing This Summer

Jim Benning — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:07:00 +0000

I’ll be talking travel writing on both coasts this summer. First up: the Travel Blog Exchange’s two-day travel blogging conference, TBEX ‘10, June 26-27 in New York City. I’ll be delivering a morning talk and discussing writing on a panel with writers and editors Don George, David Farley, Alison Stein Wellner and Michael Yessis.

Then in August, I’ll be back on the faculty at the Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference in Corte Madera, just north of San Francisco. Among the faculty members: Tim Cahill, Rolf Potts, Don George, David Farley, Jeff Pflueger, Jen Leo, Carl Hoffman, Michael Shapiro, Bob Holmes, Linda Watanabe McFerrin, Catherine Hamm, Phil Cousineau, Andrea Johnson and Amanda Jones. The Book Passage conference is always one of the highlights of my year, and this year it’ll cover food writing, too.

Photo by tibchris via Flickr, (Creative Commons)

The Australian on World Hum

Jim Benning — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:42:14 +0000

Praise for World Hum in the Australian:

Founded in 2001 and tagged “dispatches from a shrinking planet”, World Hum promises “the best travel stories on the internet” and it often rises to the challenge (note that the quality is patchy and some writers are, well, city blocks ahead of others). But it’s an energetic and engaged site, with lots of updates and new posts, tweets and blogs, and you will uncover some genuine nuggets of valuable information and numerous insights.

World Hum Named 2010 Webby Honoree

Jim Benning — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:31:10 +0000

Great news, especially since it was in the writing category. Other sites also honored for the quality of their writing include NPR, BBC World Service and Vanity Fair.

Thanks, Webbys.

Travel Writing in the Digital Age – 2010 Workshops*

Jim Benning — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:27:11 +0000

* Update, April, 25 2010: Despite sold-out classes and overwhelmingly positive feedback from students, our travel writing classes have been put on hiatus for the time being.

We’ve posted half a dozen 2010 weekend dates for our Travel Writing in the Digital Age classes, which cover travel writing, travel blogging, audio slideshow production and using social media. They all take place at Travel Channel headquarters in Washington, D.C. ~~Find more details, registration information and student testimonials here~~.

Travel Writing in the Digital Age

Jim Benning — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:39:12 +0000

I’m excited to announce the creation of new two-day workshops on Travel Writing in the Digital Age, presented by World Hum and Travel Channel Academy. Few classes these days thoroughly address how travel writing has changed and evolved with the internet. That’s why Michael Yessis and I created this course: to bring much of what we’ve learned in editing and producing World Hum over the years to aspiring travel writers, as well as writers seeking a serious primer on travel writing and the internet.

We cover how to turn travel tales into compelling stories and essays suitable for publication; how to create and write an evocative travel blog (and keep it going after a trip); and how to produce a dynamic audio slideshow that combines photography and voice-over audio storytelling. We also address how to use social media to help establish oneself as a travel writer and find a voice in the vibrant digital travel writing community.

Enrollment is open now for classes in November and December at Travel Channel headquarters in Washington, D.C. Michael and I have both taught travel writing at UCLA Extension (and I’ve taught it in several other locales), and we’ll be leading the courses. We’ll be adding more dates and locations in 2010. ~~Registration and additional information can be found here~~. (Updated, April 25, 2010.)

Starbucks vs. the Traveler

Jim Benning — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:57:52 +0000

Photos by Jim Benning, except: Shanghai Starbucks photo by c a m i l o via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Starbucks Seoul, Korea by jared via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Starbucks Italy by miss karen via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Starbucks Beijing by granth via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Starbucks London by marktollerman via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Starbucks overflowing mug by MyLifeStory via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Starbucks Dubai by Marc van der Chijs via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Mexico highway by Erick Muñiz via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Forbidden City Starbucks by d’n'c via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Tokyo Starbucks by nimbu via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Kyoto Starbucks by MShades via Flickr, (Creative Commons; Frankfurt Starbucks by re-ality via Flickr, (Creative Commons); Tijuana crumbling building by eschipul via Flickr, (Creative Commons).