Michael Luongo Freelance Writer, Editor and Photographer and Lecturer Michael Luongo, photo by Ingrid Breyer 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, novelist, editor, photographer and educator, concentrating on travel, culture, human rights and other topics.  Click on the various pages in this website to learn more about my articles, books, classes, photography lectures and other projects....and where in the world I've been to lately.  With experiences in nearly 100 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 And make sure to follow me on Twitter: @michaelluongo   And on Instagram: @michaeltluongo My Byline has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Penthouse, Smithsonian Magazine, CNN, Bloomberg News, National Geographic Traveler, Christian Science Monitor, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel+Leisure.com, Gay City News, Global Post, Out Traveler, Out, The Irish Times, The Nation, Saturday Evening Post, The Jewish Daily Forward, Perfil, The Daily Beast, The Arab-American Monitor, The New York Post, American Way, Xtra and many other publications and websites. I am also the author or editor of 16 books, primarily on travel topics. In addition to my freelance journalism, I have also been teaching at several universities in the United States and overseas. After finishing the Knight Wallace Journalism Fellowship at the University of Michigan, in the class of 2016, where my research focused on the role travel journalism plays in tourism redevelopment in conflict zones and urban areas in transition, I taught for the University of Michigan's English Department Writing Program. Afterwards, I taught for the University of Michigan on the Shanghai, China Campus, for a joint program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. One of the first of the United States-China educational cooperatives, more details on the program are here. After Shanghai, I taught in Hong Kong at Lingnan University, serving as the Writer-in-Residence for the English Department. It was an amazing position to hold, especially considering the turbulence in this former British colony now. I also taught for about 10 years for New York University, creating a class called The Global Traveler. I am currently teaching online courses for the University of California, Los Angeles. Speaking Engagements and Expertise Looking for a travel expert?  I am available for radio and television commentary, panel presentations, speeches, conducting photo lectures and 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, book editing consulting and idea gathering and other projects for which I may be of help. I am also a frequent lecturer on the university circuit speaking on travel, human rights, LGBT issues and many other topics. How can I help your students be the best they can be, and engage them with topics important to today's world? My email is mtluongo@gmail.com or mtluongo@umich.edu My Next Lecture: Hong Kong Photo Lecture at Queens Public Library, Flushing, Queens, New York Monday, October 28, 2019 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm Flushing Queens Public Library, New York 41-17 Main Street Flushing, NY 11355 (718) 661-1200 *IRC Conference Room*  If you want to see what my life was like in Hong Kong, I will hold a photo lecture in Flushing Queens on teaching at Lingnan University, Hong Kong festivals, and more.   https://www.queenslibrary.org/calendar/ql-international-resource-center-presents-hong-kong--a-city-alive-with-festivals--dragons/003011-0819   The event is free. The Springsteen Paradox by Michael Luongo for CNN Opinion The election of Donald Trump is a major news topic of today, and Michigan played an important role. Here for CNN Opinion, with my background as someone from Bruce Springsteen's town, Freehold, NJ, is a piece looking at a variety of underreported issues today for the working class and how those played into the November surprise. Some of my recent and most popular books: The controversial Gay Travels in the Muslim World, released by Haworth Press in 2007 and now published by Routledge/Taylor Francis. It is the first gay American book ever translated into and published in Arabic.  www.gaytravelsinthemuslimworld.com   Frommer's Buenos Aires, fourth edition, the most popular U.S. published guide to the Argentine capital. See also below, the book on Argentina. www.misterbuenosaires.com My Bruno Gmunder Sensual Travels edited collection was a Lambda Literary Awards Finalist in the Erotica category Order on Amazon.... The sex research themed The Voyeur, my debut novel released by Alyson Books.  www.thevoyeurnovel.com The sentimental Looking for Love in Faraway Places, released by Haworth Press.  www.lookingforloveinfarawayplaces.com Order Sensual Travels Here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sensual-travels-gay-erotic-stories-michael-luongo/1113860916?ean=9783867875219 The Frommer's Argentina Third Edition, with co-writers Christie Pashby and Charlie O'Malley Gay Tourism, the first academic book on the gay travel industry, co-edited with Dr. Stephen Cliftt and Carry Callister C-Span Book TV  Reading and Q&A for Gay Travels in the Muslim World Filmed at The Queens Public Library One of my 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 this controversial and thought provoking book is all about.  It was also the first gay themed American book ever translated and published into Arabic. Click here for the link. click on image for link Recent Interviews:   Ebru Today TV Travel Advice A wonderful interview with Mia Toschi of Ebru Today from March of 2013 with ideas on travel, from Argentina to Italy, to Egypt along with saving money and recording your trip. Travel Talk Radio with Sandy Dhuyvetter Here's a link to a talk I gave with Sandy Dhuyvetter of Travel Talk Radio, talking about my recent NATJA awards, the current uprisings in the Middle East and their impact on tourism, and what it is like to live in Argentina. City Traveler with Robert DiGiacomo Here's a link to a profile and Q&A with Robert DiGiacomo interviewing me about living in Buenos Aires, my Evita fetish, tango, and whether Buenos Aires is really a bargain anymore for travelers. Rolf Potts' Interview: Great interview of my work with writer Rolf Potts.