Letter from the Editor
Dear readers,
American novelist Henry Miller once observed that "one's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." As we launch our maiden issue of ExPatLit.com, we are inspired and compelled by Miller's perspective.
We expatriates are fortunate in many respects: we see and hear, taste and smell and touch the wonders of the world. The stuff of National Geographic and Discovery Channel: we're part of it. But what we tend to sacrifice in the interest of our immersive experience is a defining sense of place. Friends, family, facility; these become transient, and we never know quite where we'll be in three months, six months, a year.
This lack of definition can be frustrating at times, but it is also liberating. When we travel, we're not really looking to belong somewhere; we're not looking to arrive. What we want is to challenge our perceptions, maybe even turn them inside-out, and to see the world a little differently. It makes for good conversation, good scrapbooking, and - occasionally - for good writing. The following ten compositions, we humbly submit, are the definition of good writing, and they capture the expat spirit. We are grateful for the privilege to share them with you.
Enjoy.
Joe Dugan
Managing Editor
Click here to continue reading the Spring 2009 edition of ExPatLit.com.
