2020-21 SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
119 Travel Book ( Newspapers,Travel Magazines,Travel Coverage in General Magazines,Travel Audio-Radio,Travel Audio-Podcasts and Guides)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: George Steinmetz Entry Title: The Human Planet: Earth at the Dawn of the Anthropocene Entry Credit: George Steinmetz, Andrew Revkin Judge Comment: Rarely has what appears at first to serve as a "coffee table" book contained such a stunning, urgent combination of photography, detailed photo captions, a gripping closing personal essay (by photographer George Steinmetz), and a learned introduction (by expert journalist Andrew Revkin). The book is an unusual, unique documentary related to climate change.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: HarperCollins Entry Title: Liar's Circus Entry Credit: Carl Hoffman Judge Comment: During a highly unusual year of U.S. presidential politicking, journalist Carl Hoffman traveled to rallies for President Donald J. Trump in Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Texas to study not only Trump himself but also his faithful voters. In addition to interstate travel, Hoffman stood in lines for approximately 170 hours to gain entry to the rallies, then listened carefully while the orchestrated spectacles took place. This is a travel book with sociological insights.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Conor Knighton Entry Title: Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park Entry Credit: Conor Knighton Judge Comment: Acadia to Zion in the book's title also signifies Maine to Utah (and beyond). Noting the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, Conor Knighton suggested to his bosses at the "CBS Sunday Morning" TV show that he visit the officially designated national parks, at least one of which exists in the majority of states. As he travels, the author shares tidbits from his roller coaster personal life, in addition to taking readers behind the scenery of widely separated parks. The writing is often sparkly and certainly easy to read. This is not solely a feel-good account, but it trends in that direction.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Loren Ghiglione Entry Title: Genus Americanus: Hitting the Road in Search of America's Identity Entry Credit: Loren Ghiglione, Alyssa Karas, Dan Tham Judge Comment: The trio of travelers who collaborated on this book constitute an unusual group. Journalism professor Loren Ghiglione has reached age 70; his travel companions Alyssa Karas and Dan Tham are young enough to be Ghiglione's grandchildren. They drive to 28 states during three months, traveling about 14,000 miles. The route is not random -- to a large degree, the trio is following a path taken by author Mark Twain more than 100 years earlier. The attitudes of about 150 Americans interviewed on the route provide a richness of a nation, though not a consensus about much of anything.
