I’m slightly suspicious of superlatives– you know, the best of this or the worst of that– so I tend to approach them with some skepticism.

Professor and researcher Dr. John W. Miller of Central Connecticut State University has just released the results of the 2008 study of America’s most literate cities. Miller, who launched the America’s Most Literate Cities study in 2003, examines six indicators of literacy:

1. newspaper circulation;
2. number of bookstores;
3. library resources;
4. periodical publishing resources;
5. educational attainment; and
6. internet resources.

Based on his review of available data, culled from other sources (such as the American Booksellers’ Association, National Center for Education Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau, among others), Miller reports that the most literate cities in America in 2008 were Minneapolis; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; St. Paul, Minnesota; San Francisco; Atlanta; Denver; Boston, St. Louis; Cincinnati; and Portland, Oregon.

Now I’m not saying that these cities aren’t highly literate, but it’s hard for me to believe that New York City ranked 24 on the list. With one of the most respected newspapers in the United States, thriving bookstores (just try to plow through the crowd at The Strand), and one of the best circulating and research libraries anywhere, Miller’s list has me itching to travel to these other cities to see how they bested the Big Apple.

What do you think of this list? And what would you rank as the most literate cities outside the United States?

Photo: douglemoine (Flickr creative commons)

Well, it sure looks that way.

One tourist-hungry British village is already accepting the currencies at par, hoping to attract for Irish and continental European visitors, and a financial expert quoted by the BBC recently called official parity “almost inevitable”.

The BBC story notes that at least one high-profile Forex, 100 euros will currently set you back £99.11. Sure, it’s not quite parity — but it’s close enough, right?

This is good news for European travelers interested in visiting the United Kingdom, but bad news for the Brits who love to flock to the Canaries and the beaches of Spain each winter.

It could also be bad news for continental European tourism industries.

When the Canadian dollar broke even with the US dollar (and eventually surpassed it) last fall, cross-border shoppers rejoiced. But for the Canadian travel industry, which relies for large chunks of its business on American tourists who view the Great White North as a discount holiday option, parity was nothing to cheer about.

Of course, US-Canadian parity didn’t last long, and our trusty CAD tumbled back down again this past summer. Our scenario was a blip, a product of immense American economic uncertainty on the one hand and sky-high oil prices (hurray for the tar sands?) on the other.

The Euro’s ascendancy, on the other hand, could be a longer-term reality.

What do you think?

If the European Union currency remains at par with Sterling, or even surpasses it, will the Brits consider joining the Euro-fold?

Does parity help or hinder your European travel plans?

Photo by Andrea Guerra (Creative Commons)

Helen Suzman, the lone anti-apartheid voice in the South African parliament for more than a decade, died today. She was 91.

Suzman served as a South African MP from 1953 to 1989, and was a vocal critic of the state’s policy of apartheid — or strict, institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination — long before the global community, and other whites in South Africa, began to turn against the system.

She is probably best known outside South Africa for her visits to Robben Island, when Nelson Mandela and large numbers of other political prisoners were held there.

Mandela wrote in his autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom:

It was an odd and wonderful sight to see this courageous woman peering into our cells and strolling around our courtyard. She was the first and only woman ever to grace our cells.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu called Suzman “indomitable”, and a “powerhouse in the struggle against apartheid”.

The BBC has video recapping Suzman’s career.

Photo by g-hat (Creative Commons)

If you’re one of those brave or crazy folks planning on ringing in 2009 in New York City’s Times Square, this post’s for you.

One million people are expected to crowd into the world’s brightest crossroads to await the dropping of the Waterford crystal ball, a tradition that’s more than a century old.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re one of them:

-Revelers begin gathering by early afternoon. The ball is raised to the top of the flagpole at 6 PM. You should definitely be in place by then if you expect to get even a long view of the ball. You may want to stop by the Times Square Information Center before staking out your space so you can fill out a wish for the new year. Your wish will be added to the one ton of confetti that will rain down upon the crowd at the midnight hour.

-There are no port-a-potties or public restroom facilities available within the cordoned viewing area, so go light on liquids before arriving and while waiting.

-Leave the alcohol at home or in your hotel room. It’s not allowed.

-Leave bags and backpacks at home, too. They’re not allowed either, and police manning the entry checkpoints will turn you back if you arrive with a bag or pack.

-If you’re planning on arriving by car, check out this list of street closures.

-Eat up! There are no food vendors inside the cordoned area, so unless you plan to charm your way into a seat at one of these restaurants with a view, you better make sure you eat early.

-Be patient! With a million people circulating in a relatively small space, the vast majority of them surging towards the subway once the ball drops, patience will be necessary if you plan on ringing in 2009 on a positive not.

Online Resources:

City of New York’s website.

Times Square Alliance’s website.

Other Resources:

If you have any questions at all about New York City or the New Year’s event, call the city’s all-purpose information line, 311.

Photo: HGruber (Flickr creative commons)

David Miller - Senior Editor

David Miller with daughter Layla. Morning after her first camping trip. Elwha River, Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

1) What was your favorite article on Matador in 2008?

There were so many good blogs and articles written this year, but one in particular, Teresa Ponikvar’s What’s up with Pachuca just hit all the right notes. “How can a town without a living river be a living town?” she asks. This piece speaks for the growing number of us who seem to be perpetually searching for and in love with place.

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Literary agent Nathan Bransford recently held a contest on his blog, seeking the best first paragraph he could find.

He’s just announced the winner — and, along with the announcement, he’s offered some feedback on what makes a good first paragraph, and what makes a bad one.

The advice is aimed at fiction writers, but (as is so often the case with writing advice!) it’s equally applicable to narrative nonfiction, including travel writing.

Here are Bransford’s three first-paragraph patterns to avoid:

1) Surprising sentence.

Well, not the surprising sentence per se, but rather the surprising sentence is made more complicated by the fact that it is followed, in fits and starts, by conversational prose that, in its casualness, contrasts with the shocking statement and sets a breezy tone despite the shocking statement. That is, until the reversal.

2) Small, finely rendered observation.

This is followed by the particular shape of the moon or the wisps of grass and the particular temperature that still night or perfect sunset that lulls us into a sense of place and setting. And then we linger in that scene still longer to see one more even more finely rendered detail, and still another, leading us to the very thing the author seeks. That is, until the shocking statement.

3) The tough protagonist shudders against whatever bad weather they are enduring.

They check their timepiece, or weapon, and go back to the task at hand. Pithy comment. It’s not easy being the tough protagonist.

Sound familiar? Yeah, we’ve all been there.

Thanks to Nathan Bransford for the friendly reminder!

[Via The Book Bench]

Photo by mezone (Creative Commons)

Well, tough economic times may be upon us, but at least one large-scale employer is looking for fresh blood — and travel experience is a plus. Yup, the US Foreign Service is hiring!

According to this New York Times story, the State Department is seeking funding to fill 800 positions this year, almost 200 of which are brand new (rather than jobs opened by internal turn-over).

There are a lot of factors at play in the hiring of new diplomats-to-be, but travel experience is certainly in the mix.

From the story:

Felix Salazar, hired as a junior officer by the State Department in September, said that during the interview process he felt “a sense of urgency, that they were actively hiring and really valued my experience.” Mr. Salazar, who spent three years in the Peace Corps, leaves in February for his first posting, in South Africa.

For more on the foreign service, check out my post over at The Traveler’s Notebook, The Life of a Diplomat.

The NYT story also has some solid, practical information and useful State Department links, so be sure to give it a thorough read.

Good luck, and let us know if you wind up throwing your hat into the ring!

Photo by Sekimura (Creative Commons)

1. 50 Things to do Before You Die

# 27: Participate in Burning Man. Photo by John Curley.

From participating at Burning Man to seeing India by train, Matador’s bucket list of 2008 went both far and deep. In an editor’s forward to this piece I’d hinted at that common perspective where “sometimes it feels like we’re racing against time to experience something or somewhere before whatever it is that makes it special has been exhausted, used up, crowded out.”

Instead of choosing all obvious experiences (i.e. skydiving), author Josh Lew included long-term experiences, like learning a foreign language, or surfing.
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I hate to be a Debbie Downer on Christmas Day, but I woke up this morning thinking about people who can’t spend the holiday with their loved ones. I woke up thinking about wars.

War doesn’t take a holiday.

And both those fighting it and those directly affected by it are unable to enjoy the most important gift of all: peace.

If you’d like to let people affected by war know that you remember them today, here are three simple actions you can still take:

1. Send a soldier a song: Now through December 31, you can send a soldier a voucher for two free song downloads through a program sponsored by Billboard Magazine. Sending the voucher–along with holiday wishes–takes less than one minute of your time. Information about the program can be found here.

2. Put together a New Year’s care package: Make the holiday last longer with a New Year’s care package. You can see a list of commonly requested items and full instructions for sending military care packages here.

3. Remember victims and survivors of war: CIVIC (The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict) offers numerous ways for concerned citizens of any country to get involved in supporting their campaign for rights of victims of war. One thing you can do today is sign an electronic petition asking President-elect Obama to support important policies that will help victims of war if Afghanistan and Iraq.

Photo: Army.mil (Flickr creative commons)

You probably don’t need me to tell you that President Bush has less than a month left in office.

But it just feels so good to say it!

Before we all heave one big collective sigh of relief, let’s enjoy a few more laughs and groans as we review eight years’ worth of Bush’s finer–yet less remembered–moments as he exercised statesmanship at home and around the world.

1. Reflection on America’s enemies:

2. Trying to talk like the locals… and remember what meeting he’s attending:

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