Michael Palin lecture

The third lecture was, as expected, brilliant. It was great being able to discuss what I found and the points I had prepared for the travel piece I chose on Michael Palin, and as I shared the reasons as to why it appeals to me, such as the way Palin creates a wonderful sense of place whilst capturing the reader’s imagination, I decided that I’d visit book shops to buy it later that week. 

It’s as if the words jump out at you, as if the words create a painting which is so vivid in the mind that you feel like you’re there. This is my aim for travel writing to ensure  the reader feels a sense of satisfaction with the descriptions and waxing lyrical sentences. 

Here's the work I prepared on Michael Palin:- 

 

Born in 1943 in Broomhill, Sheffield, Michael Edward Palin is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter.

He is also well known for his travel documentaries and books, such as his ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, ‘Pole to Pole’, and ‘Full Circle’. These demonstrate just how excellent his writing is. Not only are these books engaging, but also witty, fun and draw the reader into the experiences along his travels. He certainly captures a sense of place, a key element to the travel writing genre, by using sight and smell, as well as geographical locations and incorporating historical elements into the pieces.  

His travels have taken him to all parts of the globe, including the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and most recently, Brazil.

Honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000, Palin was awarded this for his services to television. He was also the president of the Royal Geographical Society between 2009 and 2012.

Michael Palin’s ‘Full Circle’ is, in my opinion, great. I really like this piece of travel writing as it captures a mixture of qualities which this genre of writing aims to. Palin has definitely made use of the senses, such as sight and smell, which will be discussed shortly. I think the reason for its arresting points, what makes it so interesting, is as a result of demonstrating a sense of place and the level of detail he uses.

His first chapter focuses on travels in Alaska, USA. For example, he creates a sense of place with the people; describing them as ‘six other members of my film crew’, ‘a hundred and eighty-two Inaluk Eskimos and their wives’. He lets the reader know the time of year and time of day - mid-morning in late August.

The use of sight enables the reader to visualise the picture of the fishermen going about their business, as Palin clearly paints the scene with vivid details through recounting what he sees, allowing the reader to imagine what Palin sees.

It is as if the reader is with Palin, as the sense of smell is introduced as well. The ‘sickly pungent smell of seal blubber and the smell of changing weather’, in addition to the geographical setting of Little Diomede Island - ‘lies just south of Arctic Circle at the latitude of 65.40°’, creates the perfect sense of place for the reader. Also through providing the reader with history - ‘a few thousand years ago ...’, Palin engages a captive audience and their imagination.

I think the point of this piece of writing is to allow the reader to envisage the travels Palin has been on and what he’s experienced. His use of language: relaxed, informative and very detailed, helps the writing work on many different levels.

I learnt that the motivation is down to the travel writer, and unlike a news writer who is encouraged by the news desk, a travel writer is driven by their own impulses, passion and interest in what they are writing about. It’s important to understand and identify what captures our curiosity.

The use of superlatives and descriptive sentences is yet another great device in travel writing and can be applied in the manic need to recount an experience or drive to always be on the move.

When the lesson finished, I instantly knew how I would apply the information I’d learnt and so, with gentle prodding of my memory, I continued to write some more travel pieces so that their descriptions would establish a sense of place. 

During the next day or the one after that, I checked which book stores had Palin’s books in stock, and ended up buying ‘Full Circle’ for only £3. The main reason for buying the book centres around giving me the opportunity to write in it, annotating any interesting devices or techniques that are used, or anything in particular I like about his style. I also decided that I would be accumulating travel books from now on, and by doing so, I would have the pleasure of reading them and highlighting common experiences between my travels and the journeys the writers have been on, as well as coming across other parts of the globe which inspire me to travel there too.