Travels With Mike: In Search of America 50 Years After Steinbeck

June 13th, 2011 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized |

Producer John Biewen interrogates John Steinbeck. (Photo by Diana Garcia)

I seriously suffer from wanderlust. Summer comes and I want nothing more than to shunpike — make my way cross-country taking back roads. Can’t do that this summer, sadly. But, fortunately, I have John Biewen’s latest documentary to satisfy some of my road trip ya-yas.

In 1960, John Steinbeck made his way coast to coast along with his dog, Charley. Their trip was immortalized in the book Travels With Charley: In Search for America. Fifty years later, John Biewen traced Steinbeck’s journey — with his microphone. John’s story is immortalized in “Travels With Mike: In Search of America 50 Years After Steinbeck” and presented on this edition of the Saltcast.

By the way, I’m huge fan of books about cross-country sojourns. Here are links to a few.

Blue Highways, William Least Heat-Moon

River Horse, William Least Heat-Moon

Road Scholar, Andre Codrescu

Miles from Nowhere, Dayton Duncan

Out West: American Journey Along the Lewis and Clark Trail, Dayton Duncan

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the America West, Stephan Ambrose

The Air Conditioned Nightmare, Henry Miller

Also, for more about John Biewen’s journey, check out his “Travels With Mike” website.

Okay. There. That should keep you busy!

Best, Rob

Podcast: Download (Duration: 55:58 — 51.3MB)

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