Jonathan Raban (1942–2023,) born Jonathan Mark Hamilton Priaulx Raban, was a British writer known for his achievements in various literary genres, including travel writing, playwriting, criticism, and fiction. His works seamlessly traverse the diverse landscapes of human experiences and geographical terrains, showcasing a profound understanding of the complexities inherent in both.
Born in Hempton, Norfolk, England, Raban received his education at the University of Hull. His literary journey commenced with the début novel Armed With Madness (1976.) However, it was his non-fiction masterpiece Soft City (1974; Hawthornden Prize for Literature.) This work delved into the evolving urban landscapes, showcasing Raban’s keen observational skills.
Driven by a nomadic spirit, Raban ventured to the United States, ultimately settling in Seattle. His encounters in the Pacific Northwest left an indelible mark on his writing, evident in the acclaimed travelogue Old Glory: An American Voyage (1981,) where he navigated the Mississippi River, capturing the essence of the American experience.
Raban’s reputation as a perceptive sociopolitical observer of landscapes and cultures was solidified with subsequent works like Bad Land: An American Romance (1996) and Passage to Juneau: A Sea and Its Meanings (1999.) His later works, including Waxwings (2003,) My Holy War (2005)—an exploration of post-9/11 uncertainties and cultural alienation—and Surveillance (2006,) continued to highlight his versatility and intellectual depth.
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If we live inside a bad joke, it is up to us to learn, at best and worst, to tell it well.
—Jonathan Raban
Topics: Jokes
There’s an enduring American compulsion to be on the side of the angels. Expediency alone has never been an adequate American reason for doing anything. When actions are judged, they go before the bar of God, where Mom and the Flag closely flank His presence.
—Jonathan Raban
Topics: Reason
Life, as the most ancient of all metaphors insists, is a journey; and the travel book, in its deceptive simulation of the journey’s fits and starts, rehearses life’s own fragmentation. More even than the novel, it embraces the contingency of things.
—Jonathan Raban
Topics: Travel, Tourism
Over emphatic negatives always suggest that what is being denied may be what is really being asserted.
—Jonathan Raban
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