In this course students will read works of travel writing from different historical periods, exploring how texts are composed and organized in linguistic and stylistic terms, and how cultural and historical discourses influence the way that travelers describe their journeys and encounters. In this way, travel writing will be read as a critically engaged genre that lays bare ideological and social tensions while also capable of advancing philosophical viewpoints about the nature of identity, mobility, and travel. As we explore the possibilities of travel writing in different genres and mediums -- including poetry, websites, audio and visual texts – students will also create their own travel texts and reflect on their own practice as writers.