Edited by James O’Reilly, Larry Habegger and Sean O’Reilly; 304 pages; Traveler’s Tales, 2004; 1-932-361-02-2

Reviewed by Michael McCarthy

Before I had even moved to San Francisco, I had already read my first Traveler’s Tales book. I knew I was going to move to San Francisco, so I went down to the library and read up whatever I could on that crazy town. In between all the usual guidebooks was an unusual book titled Travelers’ Tales San Francisco. I can still remember many of the chapters, even though it was years ago that I read it. The one about the lady who pulls out her nurse’s uniform from her guitar case and changes into it, while waiting for the morning bus, seems to capture the real San Francisco perfectly.

Travelers Tales is a small publishing house based in – you guessed it – San Francisco. In a small building in the SoMa district managing editor Larry Habegger cranks out several small titles every year, competing with the publishing giants for shelf space in bookstores and libraries. Wouldn’t it be nice if the big houses chose as well? Because Travelers Tales just may be the best in the business when it comes to discovering new writers, or putting together small compendiums of excellent travel literature that justify the purchase price.

The Best Travelers Tales 2004 is no exception. Here 28 writers report in from their travels around the world in short stories that move the soul, open the mind and crack a smile. Among already published writers such as Jeff Greenwald, Brad Newsham and Rolf Potts are two-dozen newer names fighting for recognition. Travelers Tales editors Tim O’Reilly and Larry Habegger also pen their own short stories, along with an introduction by Simon Winchester.

These tiny slices of life emanate from Costa Rica, India, Zaire, Laos, Argentina, Vietnam, Nepal, Thailand… heck, there’s something from everywhere around the globe. My favorite might be The Bird King of Buenos Aires, by Larry Moffit, who is Vice President of United Press International and evidently a professional who knows how to turn a phrase. Witness this paragraph about the passion with which people kiss in South America...

”The riverside seems to be a good place to come for kissing, but less so for fishing. In fact, after two years of riding along the river more or less frequently, I had never seen anyone catching a fish. Ever. Not only that, but I had never seen anyone with an already-caught fish. Logic dictates that somebody must be catching something otherwise the banks would not be constantly lined with fisherfolk, as they always are, some tending four or five poles. I have come to the conclusion that these people are either meditating or they are waiting for somebody to come kiss them. Either way, they are not fishing because fishing involves catching fish. The rules are very clear on this point. The lovers, however, are bagging the legal limit.”

I am also pleased to see my friend Brad Newsham’s story Mohammad Ali, Ear Cleaner (excerpted from his book All the Right Places) back in print again. Nobody catches the charm and goodness of people encountered during international travel as well as Newsham. Hey, would YOU let a complete stranger stick something long and narrow in YOUR ear, one rupee or not?

Thanks to Habegger’s unerring eye for spotting new talent, virtually any Travelers Tales book is worth reading. Check out their catalog at www.travelerstales.com.