Don George first discovered his innocence in France - and then in Greece, Tanzania, Japan and more than 80 other nations. A lifelong travel writer, he's the editor of , an anthology of travel literature released by Lonely Planet.
Innocence is the handmaiden of worldliness, George argues, and his anthology is proof of that complex relationship. From youthful adventures in Europe to tales of war, the book is a rich mixture of original, previously unpublished stories, varied in theme, location and style of writing. A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, George spoke with about his wanderlust and the joys of travel writing.
I've always been extremely innocent when I've travelled and the book's theme of innocence is a powerful one for me. Innocence is something that's inexhaustible and as long as we have innocence and bring it to our interactions with the world, truly transformative, alchemical connections can take place. Innocence is also an important theme for people to read because it kind of liberates us from worrying about making mistakes or not knowing everything about an unfamiliar culture or people. It's OK to make mistakes - it's what happens after we make the mistakes that the magic can really set in.
I made a wish list of my favourite, iconic writers and contacted about a third of them by email or through their publicists or agents. About a third or more of the writers in the book I had worked with for a long time in my career as an editor. And six or so stories were from people I didn't know at all but whose unsolicited stories were so good that they deserved to be in the book.
