“My record was so bad that I was first rejected by the Peace Corps as a poor risk and possible troublemaker and was accepted as a volunteer only after a great deal of explaining and arguing.”

American travel writer and novelist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Theroux is best known for his vivid, immersive accounts of global journeys and his sharp observations on culture, politics, and human experience. His works span fiction and nonfiction, blending memoir, satire, and ethnographic insight.