I sold my car. So I decided to do some traveling by book instead.

I’m embarking on a “road trip” through the United States. No, I don’t have a car, and yes, I have a full-time job that I kind of have to go to every day. So for this journey, I’ll be traveling through the lives of people in literature. My goal this year is to read a book, play, short story, personal memoir, what-have-you that is set in every state in the United States. I have just moved back after living abroad for the last year, and I am feeling the pull to reconnect with this sprawling, textured country of mine.

SO. I’m buckling my metaphorical seatbelt, getting myself a library card, and hunkering down to do some serious exploration. With no cost of gas to worry about, the trip is going to be flexible. If I stumble on some hidden gems in Kansas, I’m going to spend some more time in Kansas. A pit-stop play here, a rest stop poem there. We’ll see.

My hope is that my “itinerary” is shaped by the suggestions of my friends and fellow lit-lovers. If you have a novel you absolutely love, a comedic essay that made you pee a little from laughing so hard, a memoir that still sticks with you, please let me know! As long as it features a setting in the U.S., I would love to have it on my radar. Traveling is always best when you ask the locals where to go, right?

To submit a suggestion for my readable road trip, click here.