Literary Travel: Interview with Fordham Alum Melanie Blake

By Anna Ferone

Books can transport us to different realms. Whether it’s Hogwarts, or the crooked streets of 19th century London, reading transports our minds elsewhere. Now, imagine you could visit these places, encapsulating yourself through tourism centered on great works of literature, literary developments, and the literature surrounding cultural and political movements. For one Fordham alumnus, literary travel is not only her passion, it’s her business. 

Growing up outside Philadelphia, Melanie Blake was eager to move to the center of the literary world. "I was very determined to move to New York," Melanie said, "However, my parents begged me to at least apply to Penn State, and I refused," she mentioned with a laugh. In 1997, Melanie started at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus. Due to Fordham's smaller class size, Melanie felt more comfortable here. "I felt that I was part of a community," she said while explaining what led her to her decision. Going in undecided, Melanie loved to read and had a passion for speaking French. 

Two weeks into her first year, Melanie's mother was diagnosed with cancer. After a long and tough battle, she passed away a few months later, leaving Melanie grieving, stressed, and discouraged for the school year ahead. "I wouldn't have finished school if it weren't for the care of a lot of people," Melanie explained, "Fordham cared for me so much and was very understanding of my situation." At the same time as her mother's passing, her father lost his job, adding to the consuming pressure Melanie was experiencing. "My father lost his pension, and he had to sell our house," she said. However, Melanie had support from many people at Fordham, which made it possible for her to stay. 

Campus Ministry, the English Department faculty, the French Department, and Financial Aid played a major role in guiding Melanie on her academic journey to graduation. Through financial aid, she received a scholarship that allowed her to stay at Fordham and study abroad, a small step in enhancing her love for travel. In her sophomore year, she declared her major in English with a minor in French language studies. In 2001, Melanie graduated and began her long and winding journey to where she is today. "I felt very fortunate to go to Fordham," Melanie added, "I was the first person in my dad's family to graduate college." 

As the determined person she is, Melanie had a variety of jobs. "I had to find somewhere to live and to pay rent. I thought to myself, ‘what am I going to do’," Melanie stated, a universally relatable experience for most newly graduated students looking to make ends meet. She first worked as an AmeriCorps teaching assistant volunteer with the National School and Community Corps at Kensington High School in Philadelphia. She taught English, French, and chemistry, which she thoroughly enjoyed. 

After her teaching position came to an end, she then made the switch to New York, and began working part-time at the Metropolitan Museum as a security guard. "Working there was harder than I expected," Melanie said, "I did a lot of overtime because I needed the money." She ended up taking a second job at a small nonprofit organization. During her time working both jobs, Melanie focused on applying to graduate school and concentrating on her writing. 

With the help of Fordham, she found a job through their career center in France. From 2003-2005, Melanie worked as a Fulbright French Government teaching assistant at Lycée Mézeray in Argentan, Normandy. There, she helped advanced students learn English better and immersed herself in French culture and language. 

By this time, Melanie developed an interest in “literary linguistics”: a branch of study that represents exactly what it suggests. A year later, Melanie went to graduate school at the University of Nottingham in the U.K. "Nottingham had a program in literary linguistics, which is not as common in the U.S as it is in Europe," Melanie explained, a foreshadowing of what her future would entail. During her time there, Melanie studied and traveled throughout Europe after her graduate degree, before finding a job in New Delhi, India. For three years, Melanie worked as a financial editor, editing daily reports for Deutsche Bank. 

In 2010, she uprooted and moved to San Francisco, California. While working tours, Melanie met a painter at a Meetup group called Bay Area Friends of Europe. In 2013, Melanie visited friends in Toronto. From there, her connection led her to meet Ann Kirkland, owner of Classical Pursuits, a tour operator created in 1999 for people passionate about literature and the arts based in Toronto. She and Melanie bonded over their shared upbringing in Philadelphia and made an impressionable connection that was instrumental in Melanie's future career. "We just really hit it off," she said, "We got along so well." 

To gain insight on what Classical Pursuits entailed, Melanie joined in leading a Paris tour to learn more about how Classical Pursuits trips worked, and helped Ann and the tour leader with translation and tour logistics. From there, she started doing editorial work for the Classical Pursuits website. As she gradually worked more closely and extensively with Ann, they started talking about Melanie taking a leadership role at Classical Pursuits to learn all aspects of the business. Ann had been looking for someone in Ontario to eventually take over Classical Pursuits, but had not found the right person. The more they worked together, the more it seemed Melanie might be that person. She had a lot to learn about running a business, but she had a strong background in literature, humanities, and hospitality. 

Classical Pursuits was inspired by the University of St. John's of Sante Fe's summer classics course after Ann's daughter attended there. Differentiating itself from a literary travel agency, Classical Pursuits is classified as a cultural travel company. In September 2021, Ann handed over Classical Pursuits to Melanie, granting her full ownership of her company through sweat equity. "Because she was retiring, it was kind of a second run at a job for Ann," Melanie said, "I never really saw myself as being a business owner, but it focused on the two things I loved most." 

Now, Melanie faced a new set of challenges and had to teach herself the ways of running a business. "Over the years, I learned the business," Melanie explained, "The learning curve has been enormous." Melanie never attended business school, leaving her with a lack of knowledge of many different aspects of running a business. "I didn't have training in so many things," she said, "I made so many mistakes along the way, but I think that was part of the deal," she added with a smile. Melanie taught herself the basics of entry-level bookkeeping, website building, recruiting and training, managing, and financial matters. “I spend more time with spreadsheets than I would like," she said with a laugh. 

Classical Pursuits uses a shared inquiry method created by The Great Books Foundation in Chicago, Illinois. "It's based on the Socratic method of a seminar leader asking questions in small group seminars," Melanie says. Prior to taking a Classical Pursuits tours, everyone reads a piece of literature. "The thing that makes it different from a cultural tour is our focus on a theme," Melanie explained, "For example, I lead a tour based on World War I poetry. A lot of its literature derived from WWI poets in Northern France and Western Belgium.”

Classical Pursuits sends its customers the materials needed for a given tour. During their tours, they have seminar-style discussions, sometimes led by local professors of the area being visited. "A lot of times, we will bring local professors and others to join us for discussions," Melanie added, "It's never just lectures; it's a collaborative, community effort." Part of a typical tour day includes reflection on the material read. Then, there are guided tours that visit the surrounding area and crucial places that are relevant to the literature read. "People really value the seminars," she explained, "There's always so much to take in." By doing prior preparation, a customer's experience is enhanced by a newfound appreciation of where they are visiting. Classical Pursuits offers online seminars as well due to the pandemic. 

A few of Classical Pursuits’ separate tours include a trip to Japan, England, the Netherlands, Paris, Morocco, and New Mexico. Melanie also mentioned a tour she took to Sicily, where her group immersed themselves in language, culture, and of course, food. On their tours, people explore the visions of writers and artists in the places they lived and worked. Tourists deepen their knowledge and gain a rich understanding of the places they visit. 

Anyone of any age is welcome to sign up at Classical Pursuits for their already existing tours or request custom ones. Melanie Blake has a profound love for what she does. She is an inspiration for those trying to figure out their lives. During her journey, there was a point where Melanie didn't know what she would become. Now, she is the owner of a successful business, encapsulating both her favorite subject and her love for travel.

This article was written as a part of ENGL 3014 — Creative Nonfiction Writing, taught by John Hanc.