Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Black Penguin
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1975
WEBSITE: http://www.andrewevans.org/
CITY: Washington
STATE: DC
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.andrewevans.org/about/ * https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5600.htm * http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/sc-black-penguin-andrew-evans-memoir-family-0613-20170609-story.html
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | n 2004001570 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/n2004001570 |
| HEADING: | Evans, Andrew, 1975- |
| 000 | 01057cz a2200217n 450 |
| 001 | 6185325 |
| 005 | 20160916075245.0 |
| 008 | 040302n| azannaabn |a aaa |
| 010 | __ |a n 2004001570 |
| 035 | __ |a (OCoLC)oca06287077 |
| 040 | __ |a DLC |b eng |e rda |c DLC |d DLC |d WU |
| 046 | __ |f 1975 |2 edtf |
| 100 | 1_ |a Evans, Andrew, |d 1975- |
| 374 | __ |a Travel writers |2 lcsh |
| 375 | __ |a male |
| 377 | __ |a eng |
| 400 | 1_ |a Evans, Andrew E., |d 1975- |
| 670 | __ |a Evans, Andrew. VegOut. Vegetarian guide to Washington D.C., 2004: |b eCIP t.p. (Andrew Evans) dv (b. 1975; lives in Washington, DC) |
| 670 | __ |a email from the author, viewed Oct. 04, 2005 |b (full name (used on thesis): Andrew E. Evans; b. 1975; author of VegOut and two Bradt travel guides) |
| 670 | __ |a Black penguin, ©2017: |b ECIP data view (Andrew Evans is a travel writer and contributor to National Geographic Traveler. He is the author of Iceland: The Brandt Travel Guide and contributor to the #1 NY Times Bestseller 1,000 Places To See Before You Die. He lives in Washington, D.C.) |
| 953 | __ |a jf07 |b ta88 |
PERSONAL
Born 1975, in TX; married.
EDUCATION:Brigham Young University, graduated; Oxford University, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Travel writer and television host. National Geographic, Washington, DC, digital nomad. Founder and editor of Letter from Earth.
AVOCATIONS:Traveling, swimming, reading, running, knitting, cooking.
AWARDS:Lowell Thomas Award (two), Society of American Travel Writers; two awards, National Travel Journalism Association; two Folio Awards; Media Mover & Shaker designation, Association of Magazine Media; Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration & Storytelling, Reach the World.
WRITINGS
Contributor of articles to publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Afar, London Guardian, National Geographic Traveler, Readers Digest, London Times, BBC Travel, and to the NatGeo.com website.
SIDELIGHTS
Andrew Evans is a travel writer and television show host based in Washington, DC. He graduated from Brigham Young University and Oxford University. Evans served as the “digital nomad” for National Geographic. He has contributed to publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Afar, London Guardian, National Geographic Traveler, Readers Digest, London Times, BBC Travel, and to the NatGeo.com website.
Iceland and Four Seasons of Travel
Evans has written several travel books, including Iceland, which has been released in multiple editions. In Iceland, he offers recommendations for travelers who want to experience the country on their own and do not want to take an organized tour. Evans provides advice on the best ways in which to experience the country’s impressive natural beauty. He also includes information on Iceland’s history, hotels, cultural offerings. In an interview with Samantha Larson, contributor to the ExOfficio website, Evans commented on his experiences in the country. He stated: “Traveling to a country is like forging a relationship with someone, and I started going there in the 1990s, when it was still an overlooked place. And just like overlooked people, overlooked places tend to be the most interesting. It was August when I stepped off the plane on my first trip there, and the snow was blowing sideways. It was foggy and mystical and ethereal. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before.” He added: “Iceland was under the ice cap until 7,000 years ago, and it feels like going back in time. And in addition to all those beautiful landscapes, you have this really intriguing and marvelous culture that dates back to the Viking era, and an extraordinarily rich and poetic language.” A California Bookwatch critic deemed Evans’s book “a top recommendation for independent travelers to Iceland.”
Evans provides travel recommendations for every time of the year in Four Seasons of Travel: 400 of the World’s Best Destinations in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The book was published by National Geographic. It finds Evans encouraging readers to embrace wintery destinations, including Quebec City, Canada, which hosts a large Winter Carnival with various attractions, such as heated swimming pools. Other wintertime locations recommended in the volume, include London, England and Yosemite National Park. In each section, Evans offers “top ten” lists for seasonal treats or activities. A list of best ice cream parlors appears in the Summer section. The book features quotes on various travel destinations from celebrities, including Alec Baldwin. Reviewing the book in ForeWord, Heather Shaw, asserted: “It will get you off the couch and on the road, no matter the weather.”
The Black Penguin
The Black Penguin is the first book Evans has written in the first person point of view. He recounts a journey he took in 2010 from his home in Washington, DC to Antarctica. The aspect that sets this trip apart is that Evans used only public transportation to arrive at his destination. He traveled via bus from Washington all the way to the southernmost point of South America. At that point, he boarded a ferry boat that took him to Antarctica. The entire journey lasted about two months. While he was on the trip, he wrote about his experiences on his blog and on his Twitter account. Among the difficulties he faced along the way included disturbing experiences with border guards, natural disasters, and encounters with dangerous people. However, Evans also met quirky characters on his journey. Interspersed in his narrative are recollections of his childhood in Ohio. Evans grew up in a conservative Mormon family. From the time he was young, he found he was different from other boys. Evans was teased for being effeminate. He came to terms with being gay, but his sexuality caused tension between Evans and his devoutly religious family members. Evans recalls his family’s rejection and the devastation he felt because of it. He tells of his relationship with his longterm boyfriend and his desire for his union with the man to be recognized. Evans ultimately married his boyfriend, and the two have enjoyed a healthy and happy relationship.
In an interview with Joseph Hernandez, contributor to the Chicago Tribune website, Evans stated: “Everyone struggles with loving their family, fighting to be an individual, and to realize that everything your family is not who you are. My mother did not react well to my writing the book. It was to be expected—when you write a book like this, people aren’t just characters. The thing I hear all the time from other writers is ‘I want to write something like this, but I can’t because of my family.’ I had to write as honest as I could, without any of that influence.” Evans continued: “It’s the airing of personal things, the pain. It’s what happens. I ended up remembering a lot of stuff that I didn’t put in the book. I could’ve published a more damning book than I did—there were times people would tell me I was better off dead. These are not things you say to a young person suffering.” Regarding the book’s title, Evans told Michael Luongo, writer on the Gay City News website: “I don’t ascribe any particular meaning to the black penguin. It’s an apt description for the extremely rare bird that I spotted in Antarctica right at the end of my journey. It became the title of my book for several reasons—symbolically, yes, perhaps, but also the kind of rare prize that I discovered at the end of the road.” Of his journey, Evan told Luongo: “Perhaps I am crazy but, honestly, I was so desperate to get to Antarctica, I was ready to try anything. I had failed at getting jobs there, joining trips and expeditions. I got so depressed about it, I kept studying the map. That’s when I realized that I was focused too much on the destination, rather than the journey.”
A Publishers Weekly reviewer described The Black Penguin as “endearing.” The same reviewer added: “These two distinct halves hold together surprisingly well, thanks to Evans’s excellent writing and eye for detail.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
California Bookwatch, April, 2012, review of Iceland.
ForeWord, November 30, 2013, Heather Shaw, review of Four Seasons of Travel: 400 of the World’s Best Destinations in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.
ProtoView, April, 2017, review of The Black Penguin.
Publishers Weekly, March 13, 2017, review of The Black Penguin, p. 80.
ONLINE
Andrew Evans Website, http://www.andrewevans.org/ (November 6, 2017).
Chicago Tribune Online, http://www.chicagotribune.com/ (June 9, 2017), Joseph Hernandez, author interview and review of The Black Penguin.
ExOfficio, https://www.exofficio.com/ (October 4, 2017), Samantha Larson, author interview.
Gay City News, http://gaycitynews.nyc/ (October 12, 2017), Michael Luongo, author interview and review of The Black Penguin.
New York Times Online, https://www.nytimes.com/ (May 30, 2017), Liesl Schillinger, review of The Black Penguin.*
Andrew Evans is an author, travel writer, and TV host.
Embracing all media, he shares his stories from around the globe online, on screen, and on paper. He is the founder and editor of Letters From Earth. His travel memoir The Black Penguin will be released in March 2017.
Born in Texas and raised in Ohio, an early exposure to the National Geographic World Atlas infected Andrew with chronic wanderlust from which he never fully recovered. He performed well in school spelling bees and filled notebooks with imaginary travelogues, but nearly failed math in the 5th Grade.
Luckily, his dreams came true: Andrew has completed over 40 assignments for National Geographic, reporting live from all seven continents and over one hundred countries, but who's counting? He has broadcast from kayak, camelback, and helicopter—from atop arctic glaciers, the jungle, the middle of the ocean, and from inside King Tut’s tomb. He was the first person ever to live tweet his ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro and gained a worldwide following when he made his epic overland journey from National Geographic headquarters all the way to Antarctica, using public transportation.
Andrew has written for National Geographic Traveler, NatGeo.com, Afar, Outside, BBC Travel, Readers Digest, The Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, The Times (London), and too many ephemeral websites to mention. Google him if you want—but remember that this Andrew Evans is the writer, not the figure skater or evangelical preacher or the rugby player or the crazy guy on death row in Florida. This Andrew Evans is the normal one.
Andrew Evans holds degrees from Brigham Young and Oxford Universities. When not traveling, Andrew likes to swim, run, read, cook, and stare at maps. He lives in Washington, DC.
HONORS
Andrew holds two Lowell Thomas Awards from The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), two awards from the National Travel Journalism Association (NATJA), as well as two Folio Awards. The Association of Magazine Media (MPA) named Evans a “Media Mover & Shaker” and the non-profit Reach the World gave him the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration & Storytelling.
QUOTED: "Traveling to a country is like forging a relationship with someone, and I started going there in the 1990s, when it was still an overlooked place. And just like overlooked people, overlooked places tend to be the most interesting. It was August when I stepped off the plane on my first trip there, and the snow was blowing sideways. It was foggy and mystical and ethereal. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before."
"Iceland was under the ice cap until 7,000 years ago, and it feels like going back in time. And in addition to all those beautiful landscapes, you have this really intriguing and marvelous culture that dates back to the Viking era, and an extraordinarily rich and poetic language."
Q&A With Travel Guru and ExOfficio Ambassador Andrew Evans
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7/15/16 by RootsRated
For anyone whose most prized possession is their passport, it’s hard not to envy Andrew Evans. He’s is one of the most well known and respected multi-hyphenates in travel circles, blending his skills as writer-photographer-on-air-talent-digital dynamo with his lifelong passion for exploration.
For several years, the Washington, D.C.-based Evans served as the “digital nomad” for National Geographic, documenting his adventures around the globe, starting with an epic trip from the National Geographic Society’s D.C. headquarters to Antarctica—by public transit. He’s also a regular contributor to national magazines and websites, serves as a television personality, and has hordes of social media followers. Evans travels about 150 days per year, and his current passport—his fifth—has 200 pages.
But even with his extensive resume, you won’t find Evans engaged in any smug humblebragging about his adventures—a rarity among many seasoned travelers, writers, and bloggers. “Travel is not a contest,” he says. “It’s really why I refuse to answer the question, ‘How many countries have you been to?’ It’s not a race.”
Here, Evans shares more of his philosophies and strategies about travel, from his opinions about the proliferation of people quitting their jobs to travel the world, tips on making long flights bearable (if not enjoyable), and essentials he never leaves home without.
Evans films a penguin in South Georgia's Sandwich Islands.
Evans films a penguin in South Georgia's Sandwich Islands. Brian Gatwicke
What do you do to get acquainted with a new-to-you destination?
I always go for a run, which isn’t particularly original. For a long time I was a very reluctant runner. But now I just put my shoes on and head out the door, and it really helps orient yourself. You start seeing what stands out and what’s different, and when you come back you’ll have seen things you wouldn’t have ever experienced in a cab. I’ve run all over the world.
Any tips on dealing with shrinking seat sizes, overcrowded planes, increasing fees and all those other annoyances of air travel these days?
Part of the problem is that we had this Golden Age of travel, and people still remember that, and we have this false expectation of what it should be like now. If a flight attendant doesn’t punch me in the face, it’s a good flight for me. I accept that I may end up in the worst seat, the middle row, next to the toilet, for five hours, and I’m 6-4. I’ve almost made it a mantra, since people are in such awful moods on planes, that I’m gonna be the cheerful guy. I always have a good book with me, I download a bunch of podcasts, and I’m a knitter, and TSA now allows knitting needles. I just zone out and try not to complain.
Sometimes, Evans snags a seat even better than first class.
Sometimes, Evans snags a seat even better than first class. Brian Gratwicke
Seems like you can’t swing a suitcase these days without hearing someone preaching their version of the “I quit my job to travel the world” story. What do you make of that?
I find these stories a little nauseating. It doesn’t tell the rest of the story, that after a year, they came home, got married, had kids, and never traveled again. The statement also assumes it’s one or the other, that you have to be a traveler or have to have a job. It’s a false dichotomy. It’s a very privileged attitude about the world, and it also ignores the real blessing of travel, which is simply stepping outside your comfort zone, and that can happen in a park, in a city, anywhere.
With headlines like airport bombings and random violence in tourism hotspots, how do you assess the risk of traveling? Sometimes it seems that there’s no safe place anymore, and that can be scary for travelers.
The world has never been more accessible, yet violence has never been so random. Evil travels as easily as the rest of us do. But I don’t want that to stop me from traveling. I’ve been in parts of the world where I have felt very uneasy, very much a target, especially as an American. And if something is too uncomfortable for you, then there’s nothing wrong with saying, let’s not go, but my personal belief is that I cannot live my life in fear. I can’t let that be what motivates me. I’ll be cautious and careful and take whatever necessary precautions I need to, but I’m not going to stop traveling. When these violent things happen, it’s meant to vilify and divide certain populations. Travel does the opposite.
Share a few of your can’t-leave-home-without-it travel essentials.
At least two empty notebooks, and way too many pens. I probably bring 12 black Japanese pens on every trip, because they either get lost or stolen. A water bottle. Water is what I drink, and I don’t like buying bottled water if I can help it. I often travel with a fake wallet filled with canceled credit cards and Monopoly money. And my own credit card, I keep hidden elsewhere in a secret pocket, usually in an ExOfficio jacket. I also bring ExOfficio underwear because I only have to bring two pair. And a swimsuit and goggles, because I’m a swimmer, and they take up so little room in a suitcase.
Speaking of suitcases: checked baggage or carry-on?
Always carry-on, because I’ve lost so much checked luggage.
You have a fairly well documented passion for Iceland—26 trips and counting! What’s so appealing about it for you?
Traveling to a country is like forging a relationship with someone, and I started going there in the 1990s, when it was still an overlooked place. And just like overlooked people, overlooked places tend to be the most interesting. It was August when I stepped off the plane on my first trip there, and the snow was blowing sideways. It was foggy and mystical and ethereal. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Iceland was under the ice cap until 7,000 years ago, and it feels like going back in time. And in addition to all those beautiful landscapes, you have this really intriguing and marvelous culture that dates back to the Viking era, and an extraordinarily rich and poetic language. Every time I go there, I learn more and fall in love with it more.
Evans rides an Icelandic horse.
Evans rides an Icelandic horse. Brian Gratwicke
With the explosion of adventure travel, boundaries and borders are being pushed like never before. What do you tell people looking for the next “it” destination?
Look at the country that’s currently hot, and instead of going there, check out one of the bordering countries. Instead of Thailand, go to Laos. Instead of going to South Africa, go to Mozambique. All these places become hot, and by the time they become hot, they’re already established. That’s great, but if you want to be on the forefront, take that next step. I love Iceland, but it’s expecting 2 million people this year. So now I’m exploring Greenland. People are venturing into places they wouldn’t normally. We are curious about the whole world. It’s pushing the envelope a bit, but I think travel as an interchange is healthy for the whole world.
Among his many other roles, Andrew Evans is an ambassador for ExOfficio. Keep up with his adventures on Instagram or Twitter.
Originally written by RootsRated for ExOfficio.
The Black Penguin
ProtoView.
(Apr. 2017): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 Ringgold, Inc. http://www.protoview.com/protoview
Full Text:
9780299311407
The Black Penguin
Andrew Evans
University of Wisconsin Press
2017
290 pages
$24.95
Hardcover
Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies G465
Evans, a journalist, offers a memoir of his journey from Washington DC to Antarctica mostly by bus, on assignment for National Geographic Traveler magazine. He grew up Mormon in rural Ohio and went to Brigham Young U., but was excommunicated from the church and shunned by his family because he is gay. He includes some description of his childhood and life in the church, as well as his life before the journey. ([umlaut] Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Black Penguin." ProtoView, Apr. 2017. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&
sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA489604660&it=r& asid=5eb0d29ed0d966ce168e28df5d194678. Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
1 of 5 10/19/17, 11:04 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Gale Document Number: GALE|A489604660
QUOTED: "endearing."
"These two distinct halves hold together surprisingly well, thanks to Evans's excellent writing and eye for detail."
2 of 5 10/19/17, 11:04 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
The Black Penguin
Publishers Weekly.
264.11 (Mar. 13, 2017): p80. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Black Penguin
Andrew Evans. Univ. of Wisconsin, $24.95 (264p) ISBN 978-0-299-31140-7
In this endearing stunt memoir, travel writer Evans combines an improbable trek to Antarctica with his struggles surrounding religion, family, and sexuality. Backed by National Geographic, Evans embarked in 2010 on a bus journey from Washington, D.C., to the tip of South America, where he caught a ferry to Antarctica. This book expands on his tweets and blog posts to capture the highs and lows of nearly two months riding in buses. Sketchy border guards, close calls with violence and natural disasters, and intriguing characters fill vignettes that range from hair-raising to hilarious. In between these tales, he more impressionistically recounts his experiences growing up and being bullied for his nerdish effeminacy. He also tackles the clashes between his Mormon family and his homosexuality and pays homage to the long-lasting relationship with his husband without letting these overwhelm his travelogue. These two distinct halves hold together surprisingly well, thanks to Evans's excellent writing and eye for detail. The work will appeal equally to fans of clever travel writing and those looking for LGBTQ memoirs that don't fixate on the angst of coming out. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Black Penguin." Publishers Weekly, 13 Mar. 2017, p. 80+. PowerSearch,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1& id=GALE%7CA485971709&it=r&asid=be16ed3364f2590e73977b87f4531d85. Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485971709
QUOTED: "It will get you off the couch and on the road, no matter the weather."
3 of 5 10/19/17, 11:04 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Four Seasons of Travel
Heather Shaw
ForeWord.
(Nov. 30, 2013): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2013 ForeWord http://www.forewordmagazine.com
Full Text:
Andrew Evans (contributor); FOUR SEASONS OF TRAVEL; National Geographic (Nonfiction: Art) 40.00 ISBN: 9781426211676
Byline: Heather Shaw
It's the dead of winter: time to get out of town. Most folks will think beach, but National Geographic's latest coffee-table offering inspires creativity. Why not celebrate snow instead of flying away from it? Quebec City's Winter Carnival is the world's largest -- and they have hot swimming pools. Try cross-country skiing in Yosemite, or Christmas in London, which, according to actor Alec Baldwin, is a home away from home "with its mix of solemnity, sarcasm, and the spoken word as art form."
A two-page map and index begin Four Seasons of Travel, clearly depicting the worldwide spread of opportunities. Seasonal color-coding organizes the 400 destinations neatly. Pertinent Top Ten lists are scattered throughout. In the Summer section, you'll find the best ice cream -- from Michigan to Melbourne -- best whale and dolphin viewing, outdoor music venues and theaters, Fourth of July fests, and sunset locales. Celebrities weigh in to point to their favorite spots. Most locations get a full page, some get two, and all receive National Geographic's stellar photography treatment. Four Seasons of Travel won't be leaving your living room (it weighs five pounds), but it will get you off the couch and on the road, no matter the weather.
Heather Shaw
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Shaw, Heather. "Four Seasons of Travel." ForeWord, 30 Nov. 2013. PowerSearch,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1& id=GALE%7CA351246244&it=r&asid=9117d06ab18c752f7b7bca4821bbd38e. Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A351246244
QUOTED: "a top recommendation for independent travelers to Iceland."
4 of 5 10/19/17, 11:04 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Iceland, second edition
California Bookwatch.
(Apr. 2012): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2012 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Iceland, second edition
Andrew Evans
Bradt Guides
1st Floor IDC House, The Vale, Chalfont
St Peter, Bucks, England, SL9 9RZ, United Kingdom 9781841623610, $25.99, www.bradtguides.com
The second updated edition of ICELAND is for independent travelers who want to explore the country's many gorgeous settings, and provides a rare in-depth travel guide geared to independent travelers. Practical advice for accommodation, nature, and the outdoors are contained in a satisfying synthesis of history, cultural insights, and practical travel applications. There are relatively few travel guides devoted to Iceland alone, making this a top recommendation for independent travelers to Iceland who want a thorough guide to just that country, not the regional guides which are more commonly offered.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Iceland, second edition." California Bookwatch, Apr. 2012. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps
/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA287109830&it=r& asid=6401899278dde50cf14563507b65ac0f. Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A287109830
5 of 5 10/19/17, 11:04 PM
QUOTED: "Everyone struggles with loving their family, fighting to be an individual, and to realize that everything your family is not who you are. My mother did not react well to my writing the book. It was to be expected—when you write a book like this, people aren't just characters. The thing I hear all the time from other writers is 'I want to write something like this, but I can't because of my family.' I had to write as honest as I could, without any of that influence."
"It's the airing of personal things, the pain. It's what happens. I ended up remembering a lot of stuff that I didn't put in the book. I could've published a more damning book than I did—there were times people would tell me I was better off dead. These are not things you say to a young person suffering."
In 'The Black Penguin,' author explores the intersection of travel, religion and gay identity
The Black Penguin
In his new memoir, "The Black Penguin," Andrew Evans balances tales of his travels to Antarctica with his story about growing up Mormon and gay in the rural Midwest. (KEENPRESS)
Joseph HernandezContact ReporterChicago Tribune
The cover to Andrew Evans' memoir-travelogue "The Black Penguin" can almost be described as a cynical choice, a gaggle of cute penguins enticing readers into a tale of adventure to the end of the world. In an age of viral animal videos, who doesn't want to read about those silly, proud aquatic birds?
And indeed, Evans delivers an adventure, though his approach is anything but cynical. After four travel guidebooks, "The Black Penguin" is Evans' first foray into narrative writing, and an earnest one at that.
On assignment for National Geographic, Evans traveled 12,000 miles by bus from his Washington, D.C., home to South America's southernmost tip before crossing by ship to Antarctica. Per his assignment, all of this was documented, in real time, on Twitter, but also in video, blog form and a printed feature.
"I had been riding buses since kindergarten — it is the simplest and most accessible form of public transportation that exists. If I could just keep connecting from one bus to the next, then eventually, I would reach the bottom of the world," he writes.
Evans became a viral hit as National Geographic's "Digital Nomad" writer — the author charts a parallel journey in his book, that of a Mormon man coming to terms with his religion and his identity, namely as a gay man.
From his early beginnings, riding (and being bullied on) a school bus in rural Ohio to riding a chicken bus through unpaved jungle roads among kind strangers, Twitter stalkers and clumsy cows, Evans charts his self-discovery with charm and sincerity, culminating in a run-in with the titular animal.
Ever the adventurer, Evans had just returned from a 400-mile, 40-day overland hike on the newly minted Jordan Trail, from the city of Umm Qais to Aqaba on the Red Sea, when he talked by phone to the Tribune about his book, his life as a former Mormon, and childhood bullying. The interview is edited for space and clarity.
Q: At one point, you write, "I had never stayed at a gay hotel before, nor was I sure what makes one hotel gayer than the other. Besides the rainbow flag, the pretty, twink receptionist, and the disco ball in the lobby, the gayest thing about this hotel is that I wanted to stay there." It seems like you're trying to make a point.
A: I don't think gay travel exists. I don't think travel needs to be framed like that. I think "gay travel" can sometimes be shorthand for clubbing, where to hook up, that kind of stuff.
Q: And yet you explore your background as a gay man.
A: I didn't set out to write a book about being gay — I've never considered myself a gay writer — but it's the running theme of my life. When I started writing the book, it was just a travel story, but my agent at the time kept telling me it was missing a personal story. I shelved it for three years before picking it back up and starting all over again.
Internalized homophobia kept me from writing it at first. But as I wrote, the more I realized that, of course, travel is a path to self-discovery. I didn't want to write a coming-out book, but travel helps you come to terms with who you are, which is why the book is structured the way it is today.
Q: You've written guidebooks to Iceland, Ukraine and others, but this is your first narrative book. What's the reception been like?
A: I think we all live our lives thinking we're the only people dealing with a particular issue or problem. I've met readers not in the same boat as me — not religious or gay — but they still connect with bullying, being ostracized. I thought I was being weak, recalling how difficult school was for me, but when I put it on the page, that's what people have brought up — "yeah my kid is getting picked on at school," or, "I was bullied too." It's universal.
Q: You took an ordinary idea — ride the bus — and made it an extraordinary adventure, and yet the story is so deeply about your upbringing in Ohio. As a former, deeply devout Mormon, you went from schoolyard taunts to excommunication from the church you loved, along with familial problems.
A: Everyone struggles with loving their family, fighting to be an individual, and to realize that everything your family is not who you are. My mother did not react well to my writing the book. It was to be expected — when you write a book like this, people aren't just characters. The thing I hear all the time from other writers is "I want to write something like this, but I can't because of my family." I had to write as honest as I could, without any of that influence.
It's the airing of personal things, the pain. It's what happens. I ended up remembering a lot of stuff that I didn't put in the book. I could've published a more damning book than I did — there were times people would tell me I was better off dead. These are not things you say to a young person suffering.
Q: Did this help you come to terms with your relationship to the church? You occasionally share facts and figures about LGBT matters as it relates to the church. Where do you stand?
A: Writing was cathartic, but there are still so many LGBT Mormon kids who are so despondent and ostracized by the church. I know because I was there. I felt that, in writing this book, I wanted to address that fact.
The Mormon church is playing to two audiences — obsessed with public image but afraid to address the problem of teen suicide in their ranks. They claim to be tolerant and loving and open-minded, but after the church's role in passing Prop 8 (which was backed by opponents of gay marriage), they spent as much money to clean up that image. Leaders can come out and say they're welcoming of gay people, but behind closed doors, doctrine says that being gay is a perversion and a wicked desire and you're going to hell. I write about what's prescribed by the church — the process of excommunication, reparative therapy. When you are raised this way, suicide is all but encouraged by doctrine — that it's the only cure. It's the most harmful message we can give to another human.
Being gay is treated like a condition you pick up in school, or you're encouraged to play a part that's not true to who you are. But homosexuality is real, to be transgender is real.
Q: You write about your family in the book — what do they think about your criticisms?
A: When I post online about the church, I am criticizing the leadership. Unfortunately, my friends and family think it's an attack, that I'm anti-Mormon. Why? It's my heritage, it's who I am — I'm seventh-generation Mormon. They can't dictate to me how I express that.
Q: And yet you're still a deeply spiritual person.
A: The blessing of excommunication was that I discovered God as an independent being. When you are so very violently jettisoned to the curb and yet still feel the same feelings from God, the same guidance, you realize you didn't really need the church. You still have God.
I've seen lots of gay friends leave their faith and throw the baby — that is, God — out with the bathwater. I didn't want to lose that.
Q: But seriously: Why a bus?
A: While I began writing about the bus, I was a 34-year-old man who had a partner, now husband. I was out and happy. When I started writing about that journey to Antarctica, with broken lines down to the bottom of the map, rather than one simple flight, I realized life isn't that neat.
From there, I drew connections to being bullied as a kid on the bus, and even then, National Geographic was a bright spot in my childhood when I was dealing with darkness and doubt. The bus becomes this vector for good and bad things — it's always carrying us, and it was always there in my life. Buses are central to my past.
Q: So you don't believe in gay travel, but does that inform your experience of the world, even a little?
A: I don't want that to become my defining thing, to be a "gay writer." I don't want my career to be attached to my preference.
The world is very big, and I've been exploring it for decades — and yes, we do see the world from our experience. I see homophobia a certain way, but I also think when you're gay, you seek out the other and the elsewhere because we all have to get out of our own worlds. The same can be said for a lot of people with wanderlust, the people flinging themselves around the world because it's easier for them to connect with the kindness of other humans. I relate to that.
jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @joeybear85
QUOTED: "I don’t ascribe any particular meaning to the black penguin. It’s an apt description for the extremely rare bird that I spotted in Antarctica right at the end of my journey. It became the title of my book for several reasons—symbolically, yes, perhaps, but also the kind of rare prize that I discovered at the end of the road."
"Perhaps I am crazy but, honestly, I was so desperate to get to Antarctica, I was ready to try anything. I had failed at getting jobs there, joining trips and expeditions. I got so depressed about it, I kept studying the map. That’s when I realized that I was focused too much on the destination, rather than the journey."
Andrew Evans, The Digital Nomad
Added by paul on October 12, 2017.
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Tags: Andrew Evans, National Geographic, “The Black Penguin”, University of Wisconsin Press, Brigham Young University, Mormonism, gay Mormons, Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories”, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Antarctica, King Tut’s tomb
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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS
BY MICHAEL LUONGO | Andrew Evans is an author, travel writer, and TV host, working in a variety of media. One of his nicknames is the Digital Nomad, especially for his work for National Geographic, reporting live from all seven continents and more than 100 countries. He has broadcast from kayak, camelback, and helicopter, from atop arctic glaciers, from the jungle, from the middle of the ocean, and from inside King Tut’s tomb. He was the first person ever to live-tweet his ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro and gained a worldwide following when he made his overland journey from National Geographic headquarters all the way to Antarctica, using public transportation.
Evans holds degrees in Geography and Russian Foreign Policy from Oxford University, and when he is not traveling, he lives in Washington, DC. His website is AndrewEvans.org.
From a shy Mormon upbringing to a life well lived around the globe
Evans has written for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, BBC Travel, Outside, Smithsonian, Readers Digest, the Chicago Tribune, the Guardian, and the Times of London. He is also the author of five books, including two bestselling guidebooks, and the travel memoir “The Black Penguin,” recently published by the University of Wisconsin Press. The book details his early life growing up Mormon, coming to terms with being gay in a conservative environment, and his ultimate exploration of much of the world. Gay City News recently chatted with Evans about his book and his adventurous life.
MICHAEL LUONGO: What is the meaning of “The Black Penguin?” Is it another way of saying the black sheep, or about something elusive and rare, like a black swan?
ANDREW EVANS: I don’t ascribe any particular meaning to the black penguin. It’s an apt description for the extremely rare bird that I spotted in Antarctica right at the end of my journey. It became the title of my book for several reasons — symbolically, yes, perhaps, but also the kind of rare prize that I discovered at the end of the road.
ML: What was it like for you growing up gay and Mormon in Ohio?
AE: Difficult and painful, because despite having a very loving and close-knit family, I was well aware that our religion was in direct conflict with who I was as a person. It meant that for years, I lived in secret, knowing that at some point I would reach a monumental impasse. Honestly though, the homophobia and bullying I experienced at my school in small town Ohio was so much worse. I like to think that things have improved for kids in schools today, but based on what I read in the news, bullying and homophobia are still a huge problem.
ML: When did you first realize as a child that there was a whole world out there?
AE: I always knew it. When I was 15, I convinced my parents to go somewhere foreign, meaning to Montreal. I had never smelled a fresh-baked croissant until that moment, in Canada, when I realized that the whole world was full of exciting, exotic things I knew nothing about. That’s when I knew National Geographic was not a lie.
Travel writer and digital nomad Andrew Evans. | UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS
ML: How did you wind up becoming the National Geographic Digital Nomad?
AE: I was the first writer at National Geographic ever to be assigned a live, interactive social media-based feature. At the time, the entire Internet fit under the category of Special Projects and so nobody paid much attention to what we were doing. My trip to Antarctica garnered a mass following, though, and after that, my editor Keith Bellows called me Digital Nomad. That became my official title and my full-time job for about four years. Sadly, after a while, the position became a euphemism for sponsored content, so I moved on. Now I’m just a writer, or contributor, and am very grateful and honored to work for National Geographic all around the world.
ML: What was Brigham Young like as a gay student — was there a sense of gay life among friends?
AE: Terrifying, because we had to remain closeted and we were always so scared of being discovered, outed, or turned into the administration. Based on my own experience, I would say that BYU offers the least healthy environment for LGBT college students in America today. The only gay life we did have was kept secret and underground, and I witnessed several friends be expelled after they were outed. I was forced to undergo so-called “reparative therapy” in order to stay at the university and was spied on by the administration for the duration of my education.
ML: What is the relationship between travel and exploring one’s sexuality, or growing comfortable with it?
AE: I think they are parallel paths that play off one another. So many of the gay men I know only truly came out of the closet when they had traveled and lived far away from home, to a place so foreign they could be anonymous. This is the whole plot of Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories” as well as so much gay literature — we can’t really be ourselves at home so we leave home and let loose with all of our personality and sexuality.
Home represents the confines of society and life expectations, meaning one’s sexuality can be very defined before it’s ever been experienced. Travel drops us into settings where nobody has any expectation from us, and where the definitions of home don’t always apply.
ML: Why Antarctica by bus? Sounds crazy!
AE: Perhaps I am crazy but, honestly, I was so desperate to get to Antarctica, I was ready to try anything. I had failed at getting jobs there, joining trips and expeditions. I got so depressed about it, I kept studying the map. That’s when I realized that I was focused too much on the destination, rather than the journey. And on the map, I saw road systems that stretched all the way from my house all the way to the bottom of South America, which was most of the way. That’s how I got the idea to take public transportation and live-tweet my journey from beginning to end.
ML: Travel and travel journalism sounds glamorous, but what would be surprising to many people about it?
AE: Travel is exhausting, and it can also be very depressing, lonely, difficult, stressful, and downright deadly. I think travel journalism depicts the world at the highest moment — by the pool with a cocktail or smiling joyfully next to some World Heritage Site.
What they don’t show is getting stuck at Newark Liberty for 17 hours, or the projectile vomiting that follows parasitic infection. I think everybody dreams of being a travel journalist, but those of us who actually do it spend a lot of time complaining about how nobody knows how difficult and thankless it can be.
ML: What is your favorite part of the book “The Black Penguin?”
AE: That’s tough. Some of my favorite parts got cut in the final edit. I think I always love re-reading the scenes from my childhood because writing this book really helped me understand myself better. I also love remembering how crazy my trip got in Bolivia, so the Bolivia chapters for sure.
THE BLACK PENGUIN | By Andrew Evans | University of Wisconsin Press | $24.95 | 304 pages
nother water bird changed the life of the Midwestern writer Andrew Evans. He captured video of a rare variety of penguin just as he was achieving his lifelong dream: traveling as a journalist to Antarctica. In THE BLACK PENGUIN (University of Wisconsin, $24.95), Evans interleaves three urgent personal quests: his expedition, his effort to convince his family to accept his homosexuality and his struggle for the right to marry the man he loved. As a Mormon growing up in rural Ohio, Evans knew he wasn’t like everyone else and so did the kids at school, who bullied him mercilessly. His only “shield of defense” was “a worn copy of National Geographic.” At 14, he wrote an earnest letter to the National Geographic Society, which responded in two months with encouragement. Many years later, after becoming an Eagle Scout, serving as a missionary in Ukraine and graduating from Brigham Young University, where he was forced to submit to “reparative” conversion therapy, Evans wrote to the magazine again, and this time he got an interview. It was the fall of 2009. “I want to go to Antarctica,” he told the editor. “I want to go overland — I want to take the bus.” What he was after, he explained, was to “take an old-fashioned expedition to the bottom of the world” but “to tell the story in real time, online.” “The Black Penguin” relays the ups and downs of that journey, but the terra incognita Evans claims is his own pride.
Continue reading the main story
When Lisa Dickey went to live in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, hoping to energize her journalistic career, she had no idea she would be drawn back again and again. But that year she accepted an invitation from a photojournalist to travel by car and create a “very personal” photo essay. The result was a portrait, “in words and photographs, of the lives of contemporary Russians.” At Lake Baikal, they joined scientists on a research expedition; in Birobidzhan, capital of Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region, they attended services in the last remaining synagogue, where the custodian led headscarved old women in prayers to Jesus. And they “watched with delight as two closeted gay men in Novosibirsk put on a spectacular drag show for us in their living room.” Dickey didn’t tell them she was a closeted gay woman.