Michael Shapiro launches "A Sense of Place"

For two years, Michael Shapiro roamed the world interviewing leading travel writers where they live. He met Jan Morris in Wales, Tim Cahill in Montana, Frances Mayes in Tuscany, and Peter Matthiessen at the east end of Long Island. He caught up with Pico Iyer in California and met Bill Bryson in New Hampshire just before Bryson moved back to England. The result is "A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives and Inspiration," a fascinating collection of conversations ranging from how travel has deepened each writer's understanding of the world to how these authors developed the skills and discipline to succeed as writers.

The book is officially available in September, but can be preordered at amazon.com and powells.com. To celebrate the book's launch, Shapiro has several events coming up in the San Francisco area - the most exciting, which include several of the top authors from the book, are listed below:

Wednesday, August 11, 2004: A Sense of Place, San Francisco launch party featuring Jan Morris, Isabel Allende, Simon Winchester and Tim Cahill Join Jan Morris, Isabel Allende, Tim Cahill, Simon Winchester and Jeff Greenwald in celebrating the publication of Michael's Shapiro's A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives and Inspiration. Shapiro will moderate a panel discussion with these renown authors, discussing their greatest travel discoveries, how travel has shaped their lives, and and how they've developed the skills and discipline to succeed as writers. Wednesday, August 11, 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the Pan Pacific Hotel, 500 Post St., San Francisco. Tickets are $30 and benefit City Lights' literacy program. Included is a dessert reception with sparkling beverages when authors will be on hand to sign copies of A Sense of Place. For tickets, email jennica@travelerstales.com or call 415 227-8600.

Sunday, August 15, 2004, 4 p.m. Book Passage, Corte Madera, Calif. Join Tim Cahill, Jeff Greenwald and other top travel writers to celebrate the publication of Michael's Shapiro's A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives and Inspiration. Shapiro will moderate a panel with these legendary writers, discussing their greatest travel discoveries, how travel has shaped their lives, and and how they've developed the skills and discipline to succeed as writers. Sunday, August 15, 4 p.m. at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. Free.