Archive - October 26, 2011

1
Maureen Orth Launches Interactive Website for the 50th Anniversary
2
Review of Timothy Schell's The Memoir of Jake Weedsong
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A Writer Writes: Experiences from Afar: A Most Delicious Cherry Cake

Maureen Orth Launches Interactive Website for the 50th Anniversary

SuperVol Maureen Orth (Colombia 1965-67) today launched a new interactive website: www.PeaceCorpsPostcards.com. Maureen, who served in  Medellin, Colombia, is still involved in Colombia with three One Laptop per Child schools through her foundation www..MarinaOrthFoundation.org. To celebrate the Peace Corps 50th anniversary, and to share the stories of amazing volunteers across the globe, with her friend Susan Koch, an award winning filmmaker, Maureen has produced a series of video postcards that feature PCVs and RPCVs. With assistance from American Express and the Bank of America there is a website which allows anyone in the Peace Corps community to post his or her story, picture or blog. Maureen is asking that you share these postcards widely if you like them by sending them out on your lists or tweeting them to your network. New postcards will be added, so visit frequently. Check out these video postcards of Volunteers as we celebrate the Peace Corps 50th anniversary www.peacecorpspostcards.com

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Review of Timothy Schell's The Memoir of Jake Weedsong

The Memoir of Jake Weedsong by Timothy Schell (Central Africa Empire 1978–79) Serving House Books 160 pages $15.00 (paperback), $9.99 (ebook) August 2011 Reviewed by Tony D’Souza (Ivory Coast 2000-02, Madagascar 2002-03) OREGON WRITER TIMOTHY SCHELL’s new novel The Memoir of Jake Weedsong is a meditative book, complex in its construction. A finalist for the AWP Award for the Novel, the story explores bigotry and forgiveness in the Pacific Northwest, where a mixed-race couple is attacked by three young skinheads as they walk through the Parks Block near Portland State University. In court during the skinheads’ sentencing, the eponymous victim’s Japanese wife asks the judge not to send the young men to prison, but rather to a traditional dinner at her home, in which they will be required to wear kimonos. Surrounding this central story is Weedsong’s work on a memoir of his years as an English teacher in an . . .

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A Writer Writes: Experiences from Afar: A Most Delicious Cherry Cake

Peter Drew (Philippines 1977–79) has worked overseas continuous since 1977, first as a PCV, followed by 9 years working in the Indo-Chinese Refugee Program out of Manila. In 1989 he joined the Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. As an FSO, he has served in Ougadougou, Swaziland, Kathmandu, Singapore, Brussels, South Africa, and now he is in his final tour in Bangkok. Recently he sent me this short piece. • Experiences from Afar: A Most Delicious Cherry Cake MANY 3RD WORLD COOKS hired by expatriates or diplomats can be male. They often have hard earned quality repertoires, like French cuisine or what have you, yet as often as not they have at the same time limited menus. For those lucky travelers who’ve had the benefit of being supported by these seasoned hired hands, who likely grew up in the harsh outer lands with no education and worked hard . . .

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