reluctantly I must censure one of my favorite American authors

reluctantly I must censure one of my favorite American authors

fiction
edward w pritchard

Reluctantly I must censure one of my favorite American authors Bill Bryson over negative comments in his books he has made against two of my favorite celebrities, intellectuals and media personalities

I say Reluctantly because I have read most of Bill Bryson's books, watched exerts of his travel videos of you tube and watched his book made into a movie " A walk in the woods " twice. Additionally I have given as gifts most of his books to members of my family, in hard back I might add Bill. Lastly, I watched and enjoyed in video the very short commencement speech Mr. Bryson made at a University in Great Britain entitled " seven rules to a good life" and admired same. Mostly however I enjoy Bill Bryson's writing very much.

Reluctantly I must censure Bill Bryson for comments he made in one of earlier books that I read about a dozen years ago about another writer I admire Paul Theroux. As I recall, Mr. Bryson was very catty in his comments about Mr. Theroux relating to how when Paul Theroux sits in a seat on a train around Britain or to the far East to a place he will write a book about Paul always manages to randomly pick a seat next to about half a dozen extremely interesting and articulate persons who share funny and insightful paragraph after paragraphs and comments that will soon fill Paul Theroux's next best seller. At the time I held my tongue chalking Bryson's comments up to a mild case of professional jealousy by the younger author against a rival writer working the same genre as himself.

Now in Mr. Bryson latest book I am reading " the road to little Dribbing" an update to his earlier " Notes from a small island" I find I must speak up as Bill Bryson has damned with faint praise ex Politician and travel host who I thoroughly enjoy his travel videos Michael Portillo. Portillo is a charming and sincere man who travels about Great Britain and the world by train and has or had a show about it on the BBC. On page 95 of " the road to little Dribbling while traveling into the forest with friends Bryson can find nothing on the BBC at the hotel to watch on TV except Portillo's show "Great British railway journeys" and Bill knocks Portillo's overly zealous taste in colored suits and here's the part that I must speak out against Bill insinuates that the subject matter of Portillo's show is inane as are the guests on the railway journeys travel show.

Bill Bryson I read all your books and I like Michael Portillo. As proof of my good taste after I finish " the road to little Dribbling" I plan on reading next your book which I bought in paperback " One Summer, America 1927 which looks interesting.

I am not really upset with you Bill Bryson and hope you continue to write and publish and continue to take me with you as a guest on your travels. From a fan/ed