Spain in Mind: An Anthology
by Alice Leccese Powers, editor
Published by Vintage Departures/Vintage Books
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Reviewed by Laura Langer
The best travel writing makes you want to pack your bags and leave on the first transport out. Spain in Mind is no exception.
Editor Alice Leccese Powers takes us on a tour of Spain through the eyes of writers we might expect, like Ernest Hemingway, and some not usually associated with Spain, like Barbara Kingsolver. There are surprises like Henry James’ wry sense of humor and rugged approach to travel. There are delights like the poems of Robert Graves and Wordsworth. There is even a curiosity, Favell Lee Mortimer, a 19th century Englishwoman who managed to pass judgment on many countries without ever setting foot in them. Her take on Spain is amusing in its oddness, but doesn’t add much to the reader’s understanding of Spain or the Spanish. Fortunately, most of Powers’ choices are much more interesting and provide the reader with unique takes on Spain in the last two centuries.
There are also some laugh out loud passages from this reviewer’s favorite travel genre—the “I moved there, bought a rundown house/hotel/farm and spent every penny I had/didn’t have on restoring/bringing up to code the house/barn/studio with the assistance of every generous/larcenous/clueless local workman in the small town without a road” story. The best of these combine a love of the land and its people with a strong dose of humor about one’s own foibles and innocence in the face of the challenge. In fact, the best of all travel writing consists of a love of learning about a new land, its people and customs, and the humility that distinguishes the traveler bent on knowing a foreign land and not too proud to make a few mistakes.
Many of these writers would make fascinating travel companions, and a collection like this launches the imagination and provides the reader with new sources of information, humor, intrigue, and insight—more to read and discover about places we have been, places we’re going, and places we only dream about seeing.
Armchair Interviews says: If you want to discover a breadth of fascinating writing about Spain, dive into this volume and be prepared to want more.