Laura Fraser (photos © John Montgomery)

Recently, a friend told me that in his youth, an adult wrapped his fingers around a musical instrument. He related, “They channeled all the kids in my group that way, but I would have played if I wasn’t so pressured.” He has been blind since birth.

Like my friend, we as travel writers often channel our attention on one sense: sight. Readers expect it. They “sight-see;” visitors carry “Eyewitness” travel guides; a popular handbook proposes, 1000 Places to See Before You Die.

At our February 19th meeting, New York Times best-selling author Laura Fraser broadened our “sights,” so to speak. Through humor, metaphors and suggestions, she urged us to boost our writing with senses.

She discussed how a writer could fall into the habit of focusing on the visual and wrapping up with the epiphany. “It’s interesting how far we can take the ‘epiphanating,’” she laughed.

She urged us to expand our sensory experiences by using postcards to focus on a smell, a touch, a taste, instead of the expected. The next morning, I wrote “smell” on top of an index card, tucked it into my back pocket along with a pencil, and took it on my morning walk with our greyhound/lab, Fargo. His sniffing led me to explore my own.

Co-president Ginny Prior

Laura started with the simple, “The dessert was delicious,” and graduated into several multi-sensory examples. She wrapped up with Lonely Planet’s A Movable Feast, edited by Don George, whom she cited as an early mentor to many Bay Area writers.

Her topic dovetailed with the mood of the meeting, itself a Movable Feast. Co-president Ginny Prior got out from behind the podium during the business portion. She weaved around chairs, extending the microphone to members with announcements, pacing the meeting, inviting participation.

One particular announcement delighted members who attended the App presentation in January. Laurie McAndish King and Suzie Rodriquez are offering a full day App workshop at Fort Mason on April 2nd.

High-School Writing Contest Winners Michelle Robertson and Rachel Seiler

The feast moved on. Two of the three Student Travel Writing Contest winners comprised our other guests of honor, their smiles enhancing our own, and their families taking up almost the entire first two rows.

First place winner Michelle Robertson’s piece “A Kiwi Grove in Israel,” connected us to world chaos with a realization. Her muse, the orchard, with Lebanon on her right and Israel on her left, “stood not only as an endower of fruit, but as a barrier between two treacherous war zones.” She heightened senses with verbs such as “entice,” “conceal,” “erupted” and “flared.” Michelle attends Acalanes High School in Lafayette.

Monica Conrady, Lee Daley & Karen Misuraca

Dichotomy ensued as Rachel Seiler, from Wilson High School in Santa Clara, soothed us with her close-to-home piece, “Terri Falls,” (near Lake Tahoe). Her third place essay overflowed with calm as she offered, “Happiness, contentment, joy, peace and harmony fill you as you take in this beautiful mystery.”

Though not present, Miguel Cervantes from Cabrillo College in Aptos, came in second with “Enjoy Without Prejudice.” How about this for multi-sensory writing? Miguel describes his family’s stop at a Guadalajara taco stand. “The sound of sizzling oil gave me an appetite like no other. Besides, the owner’s daughters were gorgeous.”

cake honoring High-School Writing Contest winners

We ended the Movable Feast with a delicious chocolate cake that Program Chair Erin Caslavka arranged for, complete with “Congratulations Student Travel Writing Winners” swirled on top. Finally, as we exited the meeting at Books Inc., the aroma of artisan-roasted coffee escorted each one of us as we walked past the entrance to Peet’s, inhaling deeply.

– Elisa Southard