Mag Dimond has been a world traveler since her mother took her to live in Italy from ages eleven to fourteen. Now in her seventies, she continues traveling, the most recent adventure being to Machu Picchu and the Amazon jungle. She is a classical pianist, photographer, gourmet cook, animal rescuer, and philanthropist. Her travel book Bowing to Elephants received a starred review from Kirkus as one of the best independent memoir/biographies of 2019.
How did you get started traveling?
I started traveling when my mother took our family to Italy for three years, starting in 1957. I was eleven years old. From that time on, I traveled – with her, and ultimately as an adult with husband/family, and also alone.
How did you get started writing?
I started writing when I was about 11, and I had a leather journal given to me by my stepfather. I began recording my experiences then, and never stopped. I found the journal to be a refuge, and a comfort, and I had lots of curiosity. The journal itself inspired me to write…about people, places, events, books I’d read, etc.
What do you consider your first “break” as a writer?
My first “break” was when I was in my late thirties – attending a two week women’s writing workshop at UC Santa Cruz – and I published a small personal essay in their anthology that summer. “Women’s Voices” was the name of workshop, and I think the year was 1979. The piece was called “Waiting and Remembering.”
As a traveler and fact/story gatherer, what is your biggest challenge on the road?
Keeping up to date on my journal writing, so I don’t lose track of anything I’ve experienced. I also use photographs to help anchor the story later on.
What is your biggest challenge in the research and writing process?
I love research. But for the writing I’ve done up to now, I really didn’t have to do much research. I had kept very good notes, and in some cases was on trips with highly knowledgeable folks who had historical and cultural info which they shared with me.
What is your biggest challenge from a business standpoint?
Travel writing has never been a business for me. I see it as a privilege and gift in my life that I happily wanted to write about. I have independent resources and thus a great deal of freedom.
Have you ever done other work to make ends meet?
I have been a teacher, a volunteer hospice worker, a jewelry maker, a creative arts foundation president, and a caterer, though none of this has been “to make ends meet.”
What travel authors or books might you recommend and/or have influenced you?
Paul Theroux’s To the Ends of the Earth and Dark Star Safari; Adam Gopnik’s Paris to the Moon and New York Looks Best in Fall; MFK Fisher’s Two Towns in Provence and The Gastronomical Me; Pico Iyer’s The Global Soul and Falling Off the Map.
What advice and/or warnings would you give to someone who is considering going into travel writing?
Keep meticulous documentation of your experiences (supplemented by photos if possible), keep an open mind always, and stay enough time in a place to truly get the flavor and character of it in your head. Exercise patience. Ask lots of questions.
What is the biggest reward of life as a travel writer?
The delight you feel when you realize you are truly connected to people in faraway places, and that you’re part of the vast human family. It’s all about connection. The learning that is possible when traveling is life-changing, mind-altering.
Share This
