There’s been a stream of fine books by immigrants about their experiences in the U.S. (memoirs, novels, essays) but no corresponding flow of books by Americans about their experiences abroad. Yes, we’re a country of immigrants, not travelers. But the imbalance strikes me as the result of self-absorption – Enough about us. What do you think about us? – and laziness. We’re OK with the foreign when it comes to our shores, but – even as readers apparently – we’re not going to go out and discover it for ourselves.
