Judyth Piazza chats with Liz Carmack, Author of Historic Hotels of Texas on The American Perspective
Liz Carmack's love for heritage travel and her desire to provide travelers with a practical reference to Texas' historic hotels has led to publication of her first book, Historic Hotels of Texas: A Traveler's Guide (November 2007, Texas A&M University Press).
Liz began her career as a newspaper journalist in Oklahoma. Since moving to Austin in 1988, she has worked as a professional communicator for iconic Texas institutions -- including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, KLRU-TV, and the Texas House of Representatives.
After deciding in 2005 to write a guide to the state's 60-plus operating historic hotels " a project that required her to travel more than 20,000 miles " she left her position with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Now a freelance writer, her travel articles have appeared in Texas Highways, Austin Woman, A, and Heritage magazines. She is the Austin City Expert for travel website Homeandabroad.com, which features her insider tips about Austin attractions. Liz also does freelance writing for the public and private sectors through her company, Liz Carmack Communications.
During public presentations, Liz shares her tips on how to select the best historic hotel for particular trips and travel styles, and provides historical details and insights about the state's famous and little-known historic hostelries. Her speaking events this fall include an informal class about historic hotel travel at the University of Texas and an appearance as a featured author at the Texas Book Festival.
Her public speaking experience began 20 years ago in England when she was pursuing a graduate degree as a Rotary Foundation scholar. Liz gave numerous public presentations about her home state of Oklahoma in support of Rotary International's cultural exchange.
She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Oklahoma State University and master's degree in mass communications from the University of Leicester, Leicester, England. Liz is a member of the Association for Women in Communications, the Writers' League of Texas, and is on the board of Freelance Austin.