Michael Shapiro is a freelance writer and editor whose work appears in National Geographic Traveler (cover story May-June 2006), the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, The Sun, Ode, and the New York Times. He is the author of the award-winning A Sense of Place, a collection of interviews with 18 of the world's leading travel writers.

As an editor, he works with individual and corporate clients. For more details and rates, please contact Michael through the email at the bottom of this page. His photography has appeared in Islands magazine, the Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle. A sampling of Shapiro's stories is in the left column, some recent news follows below; to learn more about me, see the links at right.

Shapiro wrote the text for the pictorial book, Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya, a collaboration with Lonely Planet photographer Kraig Lieb. National Geographic photographer Robert Holmes calls the book "a stunning portrait of this Central American country" and Arthur Frommer says it's "hauntingly beautiful." For more information about the book or to order it, click the link above. This is a Fall 2008 book.

Michael Shapiro's story, Somewhere Beyond Time, the cover story of the May-June 2006 issue of National Geographic Traveler, has won the grand prize in the Bedford Pace awards for travel journalism about Great Britain. The award, presented at Per Se restaurant in New York, is a trip to Scotland - past winners include Bill Bryson, John Flinn and R.W. Apple. The story also won a Silver Certificate for best destination story in Travelers' Tales Solas Awards. To read the text of the story, click here.

Michael Shapiro's A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives and Inspiration has garnered exuberant praise from the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post, and National Geographic Traveler. Since 2002, Shapiro has interviewed the world's leading travel writers -- Bill Bryson, Frances Mayes, Jan Morris, Paul Theroux, Peter Matthiessen, Tim Cahill, Pico Iyer and many others -- where they live. These legendary authors discuss how their travels shaped their lives, how they've developed the skills to succeed as writers, and how the places they've chosen to live have honed their world views. To learn more about the book or to purchase A Sense of Place, click About A Sense of Place.

Video exclusive: Michael Shapiro interviews legendary Montana adventure writer Tim Cahill in Yellowstone National Park. The 10-minute video includes discussions about Cahill's travels and writing as well as stunning shots of Yellowstone's steaming cauldrons and wildlife, including elk and bison. Photographer Tom Murphy, a renowned chronicler of Yellowstone, joins the trip.

Michael Shapiro's interview with Studs Terkel is the lead story in the November 2006 issue of The Sun, a literary magazine. The link above leads to excerpts or photo galleries - the complete stories appear only in the print editions of these magazines.

Shapiro's story on Kauai, Finding Mana is featured in the July-August 2006 issue of Islands magazine. The issue spotlights Journeys of a Lifetime and includes stories by Pico Iyer, Jeff Greenwald and Don George. Shapiro's piece on Chiefs Island in Botswana was featured in the April 2006 issue of Islands magazine.

Michael's essay, "The Longest Day" is included in The Best Travel Writing 2005, published by Travelers' Tales.

Read the introduction and an excerpt from the Tim Cahill chapter on Travelers' Tales page for A Sense of Place.

"I enjoyed A Sense of Place down to the last drop. This is a wonderful book, full of literary and experiential allusions -- a fascinating read."
Keith Bellows, editor, National Geographic Traveler

"Hearing some of the great travel writers talk about their craft is certainly instructive for readers and writers alike. Most enjoyable are (Shapiro's) interviews with some of the standard-bearers Arthur Frommer, Eric Newby, Peter Matthiessen and Jan Morris."
The New York Times Book Review, Dec 5, 2004

"Shapiro functions as a less long-winded Charlie Rose. He's done his homework, seeming to know the books as well as their authors do. He elicits philosophies of travel (Jan Morris says, 'Grin like a dog and run about the city') as well as homely advice (Tim Cahill: 'Never go shark diving with a guy that's only got one arm').
Washington Post, Nov. 28, 2004

Illuminating, entertaining, and insightful.
Chicago Tribune, Oct. 3, 2004

Big-minded, big-hearted, progressive and compassionate.
San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 19, 2004

The conversation gets political as Shapiro interviews Rick Steves on Nov. 6 at a Seattle bookstore. Also: Steves has posted the Rick Steves chapter from A Sense of Place on his site.

Live from New York! A Sense of Place hits the city that never sleeps. Click here for a report on Shapiro's conversation with travel-guidebook legend Arthur Frommer at Coliseum Books in New York. And this is a conversation with readers of Budget Travel magazine.

WorldHum interviews Shapiro about writing A Sense of Place.

Acclaimed travel writer Rolf Potts interviews Michael about the craft of writing.

Radio: Michael was interviewed recently by Ian and Tonya Fitzpatrick for the Travel'n On show based in Washington DC. Listen to the 20-minute interview on Talkzone.

GoNomad editor Kent St. John asks Shapiro about living one's dream in the face of adversity.