Tim Cahill Risks His Life "For No Good Reason"

We remember writer Bruce Chatwin, one of the most influential travel writers of his generation. He died five years ago from a rare bone marrow disease he contracted while in China. He was 48 years old. Chatwin spent over 20 years exploring the people and geography of the world. His 1978 travel book "In Patagonia" chronicled his solitary journey through South America. His last novel Utz was set in the art world. This interview is from 1987.

Tracy Johnston is the author of "Shooting the Boh: a Woman's Voyage Down the Wildest River in Borneo", which is now in its eighth printing. The book is not only an account of her adventure going down the river dealing with leeches, waterfalls, foot rot, and moldy clothes, but about her own realization that the hot flashes she was feeling in the middle of the night weren't the steamy jungle but the onset of menopause. We replay highlights from her 1993 interview.

Paul Theroux is no ordinary travel writer: his books are about exotic voyages, some by train, and others by foot. His work includes "The Great Railway Bazaar," "The Old Patagonian Express," and "The Kingdom By The Sea." In this excerpt from a 1993 interview, he talks about the various diseases he's contracted over the years.