“My tattoo reminds me of who I was at that age. I was so fraught with the existential stakes—I wanted to have lived. I wanted to remind myself to be present in the world and not let youth slip” – Rolf Potts
To celebrate the release of his new book Souvenir, Rolf welcomes back Ari Shaffir for a deep dive on the topic of souvenirs, their meaning, and their importance related to the experience of traveling (14:00). Rolf then reads an excerpt from his book (1:09:00) before exploring some of Ari’s favorite souvenirs (1:22:00).
Ari Shaffir (@AriShaffir) is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and actor. A schedule of his upcoming comedy performances can be found here.
To purchase Rolf’s latest book, titled Souvenir, click here.
Notable Links:
- Tim Ferriss (author and entrepreneur)
- Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations From One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer, by Rolf Potts (book)
- “Be Your Own Donkey,” by Rolf Potts (travel essay)
- “Why Do We Still Buy Mass-Produced Souvenirs?” by Rolf Potts (book excerpt)
- Jim Morrison (musician)
- Zippo (metal cigarette lighter)
- Damara people (African ethnic group)
- The Zeila (shipwreck on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast)
- Swakopmund (Namibian coastal resort town)
- Ari Shaffir’s podcast interview with Henry Rollins
- New Market (market in Calcutta)
- Lamb sketch from The Simpsons
- Mekong (Southeast Asian river)
- Shaker furniture (style)
- Souvenir de Paris Par’ici (gift shop)
- Paris writing workshop
- Animism (religious belief)
- Harold and Maude (film)
- Sleep No More (immersive play)
- Flores (island in Indonesia)
- Tottenham Hotspur (English soccer club)
- Manchester United (English soccer club)
- Dili (capital city of East Timor)
- Jaco Island (uninhabited island in East Timor)
The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.
Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.
