Author, lecturer, and world traveler Lawrence Millman has written 23 books, at least half of which are about travel. The Cambridge resident is also a mycologist, a scientist who studies fungi. He even wrote a book in 2011 titled “Fascinating Fungi of New England” and shared that he is planning to go to Bermuda in the fall on a fungi mission. “I have a grant [from the government in Bermuda] to continue studying mushrooms there,” he said. And while he is proud of his mycologist title, Millman is also a bona fide Luddite. “I am anti-television, anti-automotive vehicle … I don’t own a car and don’t own a television,” he said proudly in a recent phone interview. “I consider myself a neo-Luddite, and I am perfectly happy. I prefer nature to technology and own a computer only because I have to.” This is the topic of his latest book, “A Luddite Lexicon,” which he described as a dictionary of terms “that speak out against the technological matrix currently enveloping our planet … and my preference for nature.” It will be released on July 16, and Millman will do a reading and a signing that evening at the Belmont Public Library. Additional book events will be held this fall, he said. We caught up with the Kansas City, Mo., native, who lives in Cambridge “with a terrarium of giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches,” to talk about all things travel.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
I’d travel to the island of Tristan da Cunha because of its remoteness.
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own?
I book all trips by myself.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
All my trips are unplugged. Even ones down to the Cape.
What has been your worst vacation experience?
In 2017 when I was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, doing a book signing. A veritable hell. It wasn’t a weather problem or anything. It was gridlock travel, the ambience, and the locals that made it feel like the worst travel experience. On the other hand, one of my favorite places and best experiences was on an island called Mayaguana, which is probably the most remote island in the Caribbean.
What is your favorite childhood travel memory?
Collecting seashells on the seashore in the Bahamas.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all?
My vacations are expeditions wherein I try to find something unusual, be it a barely contacted group of people or an unusual food such as Icelandic shark’s meat.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation?
A book of short stories by Jack London.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be?
Henry David Thoreau. He has been my mentor since I was a little kid. He was pro-nature, anti-technology, he lived for the day, and lived in nature rather than anywhere else. I wrote a book [in 2024] called “Outsider: My Boyhood with Thoreau.”
What is the best gift to give a traveler?
A notebook and a pen.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip?
A cup of coffee. Or two cups of coffee.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation?
A carved walrus penis bone from Siberia.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
My own website: lawrencemillman.com,
What has travel taught you?
It has taught me to not be picky about time, the weather, or comfort.
What is your best travel tip?
Don’t let inconveniences bother you.
Juliet Pennington can be reached at [email protected].
