Program 656: On Travel Writing; Antarctic Madhouse; Enchantress of Florence

Join Rick on a dip into the deeper end of travel literature as he talks with travel essayist Pico Iyer about writing from the heart, then with author Julian Sanction, who recounts the gripping story of a polar expedition stuck in Antarctic ice over 100 years ago. And Salman Rushdie takes us back 500 years to describe some of the key figures of Renaissance Italy and Moghul India.

• Pico Iyer, author of "Autumn Light" and "A Beginner's Guide to Japan" (Knopf)
• Julian Sancton, author of "Madhouse at the End of the Earth" (Random House)
• Salman Rushdie, author of "The Enchantress of Florence" (Random House) 

• Pico Iyer released two books about Japan in 2019.  "Autumn Light" is a memoir of his life in a suburb of Nara, while "A Beginner's Guide to Japan" is a small book of "observations and provocations" about Japanese society and cultural expectations.  
• Julian Sancton writes about the ground- (and ice-) breaking journey of the RV Belgica into the Antarctic winter in his book, "Madhouse at the End of the Earth."
• Salman Rushdie has written some 14 novels, among his many works.  Rick talked to him about his historical novel "The Enchantress of Florence."  He also released a collection of essays in 2020 called "Languages of Truth."  Sir Salman Rushdie also interacts with subscribers about his latest writings on the Substack.com website.