GM, Verizon and Finding America
Henry David Thoreau did it.
So did Jack Kerouac.
Among others on the list are Ernest Hemingway, MFK Fisher, Wallace Stegner, Walt Whitman, John Muir, George Orwell and Jack London.
They are all famous and accomplished writers; but what else links these illustrious talents?
During their lifetimes they each undertook a journey, a sojourn into the world to better understand human stories, and experience for themselves the worlds within worlds. They left the relative comforts of lives and routines in order to better tell the tales for which they are now known.
During these odysseys, each relied on the generosity of family and friends, the kinship of other writers and artists, as well as the kindness of strangers, to provide shelter and creature comforts while they focused on the great works that would later make them famous and enrich the lives of generations to come.
And now, a new great talent is on the cusp of emergence.
Writer Jane Devin, frequently published at The Huffington Post, embarked on a year-long, cross-country journey last October and chronicles her adventure online at Finding My America. She’s blogging regularly, Tweeting almost non-stop, photojournaling, and speaking before community groups interested in new media and writing. All of this, and she still has time to drive across the country and work on a novel.
Jane’s talent is so apparent that GM is providing her with vehicles and Verizon with phone service. The rest is up to us. Jane usually stays in any one place for two or three days; and has thus far been sheltered by generous folks willing to give her a bed and a roof for a few nights.
If you’ve ever considered yourself a patron of the arts, consider, now, giving Jane some of that patronage. Go to her website. Read her content. Discover what she is discovering and join her on her journey.
And if you feel inclined to offer support, do so. She’ll appreciate it and we’ll all benefit.