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Freelance Writer, Editor and Photographer
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| Michael Luongo, photo by Ingrid Breyer |
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| From partying with bikini-clad models on South America's most glamorous beaches to visiting Bin Laden's Tora Bora caves with Afghan warlords who talk of opening amusement parks in the area, to poignant interviews in war-torn Baghdad, I can pretty much say my travel writing and photography career has been out of the ordinary.
My name is Michael Luongo. Thanks for visiting my website to learn more about me.
I am an award winning New York based freelance writer, editor and photographer, concentrating on travel. Click on the various pages in this website to learn more about my articles, books and photography projects....and where in the world I've been to lately. With experiences in over 80 countries and all 7 continents, well, I could be just about anywhere now.......
Check in for periodic updates too, because there is always something new on www.michaelluongo.com
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Some of my recent and most popular books:
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C-Span Book TV
Reading and Q&A for Gay Travels in the Muslim World
Filmed at The Queens Public Library
appeared originally on Saturday August 1 at 4pm EST and Sunday August 2 at 6am EST
Now in the Archives
One of my recent lectures was taped for airing on C-Span's BookTV. The one hour and seven minute program includes a Q&A with the audience. If you have been unable to catch me live, this is a good way to see what the book is all about. The show is likely to be repeated in the future and is on the C-Span Book TV archives.
http://www.booktv.org/Program/10603/Gay+Travels+in+The+Muslim+World.aspx
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Readings, Classes, Interviews, Appearances and Media Round-up
NEW YORK CITY - QUEENS
Middle East Photo Lecture - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and other destinations.
The Queens Public Library, Flushing
Saturday March 13, 2010, 2:30pm
41-17 Main Street (between 41st Road and 41st Avenue, near Kissena Boulevard)
Flushing (Queens) New York 11355
phone: 718-661-1229
This Event is Free.
I will be presenting a photo lecture on various Middle Eastern countries focusing on Hidden Middle East - the focus will be on sites in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as touching on Jordan, Israel and Egypt. If you have ever been curious about what it is like to visit Babylon, Balbeck, Byblos or Palmyra, this will be an eye-opening lecture. NEW YORK CITY - MANHATTAN
Travel Book Panel Moderator, Rainbow Book Fair
City University of New York
Saturday March 27, 2010, 11:30am
CUNY Graduate Center
Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS)
365 5th Avenue at 34th Street (the Old B. Altman building across from Empire State)
www.rainbowbookfair.org
This Event is Free.
I will be moderating a panel on LGBT travel books and travel writing at the Rainbow Book Fair. The panel will run for an hour and includes Jessica DuLong, Kathleen Warnock, Jesse Archer and others. The book fair is free, and runs from 11am to 5:30pm. NEW YORK CITY - MANHATTAN
ASJA - American Society of Journalists and Authors
National Conference - Roosevelt Hotel
Travel Writing Panel
Friday, April 23, 4:15 to 5:30 This is a members only event, where I will be talking about how to be a travel writer, along with fellow travel writer Jennifer Margulis and Sean O'Neill, editor at Budget Travel, and Jamie Ehrlich, my editor at Frommer's guidebooks. The New York Times Travel Section, quoted
Sunday, August 2, 2009It's no secret that I have been writing for the New York Times for more than 6 years, but for the very first time, I was recently interviewed and quoted as an editor/author. New York Times writer Patrick Healy recently returned from Beirut to write about the gay scene, and interviewed me for the article in reference to Gay Travels in the Muslim World and its recent translation into Arabic by Beirut publisher Arab Diffusion. read more here: http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/travel/02gaybeirut.htmlGay Travels in the Muslim World, now in Arabic
July 2009
Gay Travels in the Muslim World, my edited collection originally published by Haworth Press and now by Routledge, just appeared in Arabic. Very few English language books ever get translated into Arabic, and for a gay book to have this done is very special. In fact, it's the first gay American book ever to have this disctinction. Released by Arab Diffusion, a Lebanese publisher based in Beirut, there have been many recent articles about this historical work. I recently returned from a two month five country tour of the Middle East - visiting Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Egyot, promoting the book, holding some of the first public events on the topic in various locations. This historical translation has been well covered, and the links are numerous, but here are a few: Jerusalem Posthttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1246443832340
The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid97879.aspGlobal Voices
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/07/15/arab-world-trouble-for-gay-travels-in-the-muslim-world/
Frommers Buenos Aires, 3rd edition
The new Frommer's Buenos Aires, 3rd edition, is due out in early August. The book is the most popular U.S published guide to the Argentine capital, full of details available no where else. Keep an eye out at your favorite bookstore or on www.misterbuenosaires.com.
The Travel with Rick Steve's Radio Show
"Outsiders in the Muslim World"
Originally aired Saturday, August 30, 2008 to be repeated September 19, 2009 as a Ramadan special
http://www.ricksteves.com/radio/archive.htm#recentTravel guru Rick Steve recently interviewed me on his radio show. The show paired me talking about my book Gay Travels in the Muslim World with Maliha Masood who wrote Zataar Days, Henna Nights, her memoir of traveling as a woman through the Middle East. This show remains archived on the Rick Steve's website, and is to be repeated the weekend of September 19, 2009 as an end of Ramadan special.
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RECENT AWARDS
Society of American Travel Writers - Thomas Lowell Bronze Award for Investigative Travel Journalism
My New York Times article "Carrying Several Passports? It's Not Just For Spies," from January 2009 won the Bronze Thomas Lowell Award of the SATW for investigative travel journalism. The article looks at dual nationals who travel with multiple passports as a safety precaution in an age of terrorism and to facilitate business travel. Here's the link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/business/20dual.html?_r=1SPJ - Society of Professional Journalists - Award
New York Chapter Deadline Club
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NLGJA - National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Award
Feature Writing - 1st Place
In a ceremony on May 15, my writing received an award from the Society of Professional Journalists - New York Deadline Club in the category "Reporting, Circulation Under 100,000" for my November 2007 article for Gay City News on gay life in Iraq.
From the judges' decision......"The judges called "Our Man in Baghdad" a riveting read, saying the story details the harrowing task of survival, not only in a war zone but also as an outsider in one's own culture. A thorough, well-researched and compelling article on a most timely topic."
The same article received the Feature Writing Award, First Place by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association during the national convention this past August.
A link to the original article: Gay City News: Our Man in Baghdad
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Past Engagements
WASHINGTON DC
WASHINGTON DC
The Smithsonian Institution
Travel Photography Lecture
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
7pm to 9pm
The Smithsonian
S. Dillon Ripley Center
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW (near 12th Street, SW)
(this location is on the Mall next to the Smithsonian Castle)
Metro: Smithsonian Mall Exit (Blue/Orange)
A fascinating look at how to be a better travel photographer, this was a sold out event at the Smithsonian.
Smithsonianian Institution Slideshow Lecture on Buenos Aires
Thursday July 17
This summer I conducted a lecture at the Smithsonian's Ripley Center on Buenos Aires. It was one of their best atteneded and most popular lectures this summer and they have asked me to come back and do more!
Details are at:
http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=198536
Harvard Club Photo Lecture on Iraq
Recent speaking engagements and events have included a groundbreaking photo lecture on Kurdistan and Iraq held at the Harvard Club in New York City on January 29th, 2008. This was the first photo presentation ever to present Iraq's northern region as a viable tourism destination for Americans. More details are at http://hcny.com/cgis/ev_day.pl?Date=1/29/2008&Detail=1
Frommer's Buenos Aires Second Edition Book Party - A Night of Argentine Glamour
On Wednesday, December 12, 2007, the Argentine Consulate in New York hosted a party for the Frommer's Buenos Aires, Second Edition. Nearly 500 people attended this glamorous gala, one of the largest book parties ever held in New York City. The crowd drank Argentine wine and watched tango couples perform during the 3 hour event which was covered by the New York Post's Page 6 gossip pages, Publisher's Weekly, Travel Weekly, Media Bistro and other publications as one of the most important travel media events in New York's busy holiday season. You'll have to wait until December 2009 for the likely repeat!
Budget Travel Magazine Buenos Aires Online Trip Coach Expert
Tuesday, April 15, 12:00 noon (Eastern Standard Time)
Yes, it's tax day. The perfect time to think about using your upcoming refund for a trip to the land of Evita, Wine and Tango. I answered your questions about the Argentine capital live for an hour on Budget Travel's interactive website. The archived answers are at http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/tips/tripcoach/index.html
The Equality Forum in Philadephia
In late April and early May, I took part in Equality Forum in Philadelphia which this year focused on gays and lesbians in the Muslim World. I moderated the theme's opening panel on Thursday, May 1st with panelists El Farouk Khaki, Arsham Parsi, Parvez Sharma and John Scagliotti. Other highlighted speakers of the Equality Forum included Judy Sheppard, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Irshad Manji. More information on the Equality Forum is at www.equalityforum.com.
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Be on the lookout for future events and classes.
Looking for a travel expert? I am available for radio and television commentary, panel presentations, speeches, conducting photo lectures and corporate presentations on a multitude of travel destinations. Peruse the pages of this website where my photos, links to articles, reviews and descriptions of my books, and other items will give you many ideas for conference speeches, media consultations and other projects for which I may be of help.
My email is mtluongo@aol.com or mtluongo@hotmail.com
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