An Evening with Christopher R. Strain

Reflect on the enduring appeal of the American road trip through a blend of personal narrative and literary exploration at this author talk at Books & Books in Coral Gables. Christopher R. Strain presents his latest work, Driving Lessons: A Road Trip through American Travel Literature, which weaves memoir with cultural critique to examine how race, class and gender influence the American travel experience.

An Evening with Christopher R. Strain takes place Friday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. The conversation invites readers to consider the road trip as both lived experience and literary tradition. Strain recounts his own four-month cross-country journey in a 1972 Volkswagen Westfalia, using it as a lens to revisit iconic travel narratives and reflect on the cultural significance of mobility in American life. From national parks to historic sites, the book traces the geography of the United States while exploring the personal and collective meanings attached to movement and discovery.

Strain is a professor of American Studies at Florida Atlantic University’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and the author of several works on U.S. social history. Admission is free, and books will be available for purchase on-site.