Shirley Streshinsky

Shirley Streshinsky is the kind of travel writer who believes that when in Beijing, you should do as the Beijingers—even when that means ballroom dancing in the park at 7:30 in the morning. Here Shirley attempts to teach a supremely proficient Chinese dancer the basics of swing.

Back on the North American continent, Shirley has waltzed her way through the antique stores of California and Oregon in search of memorabilia and nostalgia, and tapped into Kartchner Caverns in Arizona for a close-up look at the crown jewel of the underground. Dancing between these various assignments, Shirley has suffered her fair share of cramped airplane seating, but she always lands on her feet.

When at home in Kensington, California, Shirley writes magazine articles and books, both fiction and nonfiction, including a biography of John James Audubon. Her most recent contribution to VIA is an article about the impact of tourism on the seaside California town of Mendocino.