New(ish) things:
I wrote about my dogs, stray dogs, and being stuck in Batumi, Georgia for The Bark.
I wrote about my friend Yannis, who lives in his van in the south of France, for Off Assignment.
I wrote about trying to write concisely for Brevity.
I wrote about my tendency to embarrass myself in foreign countries for the LA Times travel section.
I wrote about meeting another traveler in Belgrade for Lost Magazine.
I wrote about my many failures at reading big important books for Literary Hub.
I wrote about what it was like to come back to Osaka after being away for a while for Off Assignment
I wrote about what I learned walking the French Alps for Adventure.com.
I got to ask Rolf Potts, one of my travel-writing heroes, about his new book Souvenir for The Pitch.
I wrote about the last days of Mario's sandwich shop in Kansas City for The Pitch.
I had the good fortune of reviewing Hanif Abdurraqib's incredible new book They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us for Foreword. I even got to do a short Q&A with the author.
The Jewish Book Council reviewed Mountain Lines.
An interview with me in THE KANSAS CITY STAR!
An essay about coming home to write my book is up at The Millions.
A Q&A with Cyrus Console about his book Romanian Notebook for The Pitch.
I reviewed Charmaine Craig's novel Miss Burma (longlisted for the National Book Award) for for the Jewish Book Council.
MOUNTAIN LINES
The NEW YORK TIMES included my book in their summer travel reading round up!
Longitude Books included Mountain Lines on their list of great mountain reads.
Campus Circle in LA added the book it its late summer reading list.
Foreword Reviews wrote that, "by avoiding bombasity in favor of capturing moments on the trail, Mountain Lines invites interlopers in more graciously than other narratives in the genre. The trip proves to be a realignment for Arlan; its open-ended spirit of welcome invites the same sort of adventurousness in its audience."
GoNomad.com called the book a "genuine travel memoir . . . a compelling narrative, and travel writing in its truest form."
Publisher's Weekly said: "In the end, one of the pleasures of the book is that Arlan strives for no grand pronouncements as he reaches the end of his trail, just stating the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal and a reminding himself 'to take it slow, to not rush.'"
And from Booklist: "Arlan . . . recounts his experience with emotional honesty. Admitting to vacillating dread at the outset, a feeling magnified by his dubious physical fitness, Arlan considers giving up after his initial days of walking. Fortunately for readers, he perseveres."
INTERVIEWS (with me, about my book)
I was on Better Kansas City discussing my book. Watch here.
I'm honored to be featured here in one of Rolf Potts' Travel Writer Profiles. He's been doing these for years and they make for some of the absolute best reading about travel writing out there.
I did a fun interview over at Foreword Reviews about my book, travel, and a few other things.
The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle interviewed me about my book here.
Other WRITING (on travel, hiking, France, and other things)
I wrote about being a know-nothing hiker in the French Alps here, at SectionHiker.
I wrote about crossing a long, scary, high ridge in the French Alps here, at Cicerone Extra.
I wrote about my stint as a dishwasher at a monastery in Serbia here, at Perceptive Travel.
I wrote about La Turbie, a lovely village in the south of France here, at Longitude Books.
I reviewed Leonardo Padura's incredible novel Heretics here, for the Jewish Book Council.