August 2016 – Page 2 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Review: MEETING THE MANTIS by John Ashford (Botswana)

Aug 15 2016

Meeting the Mantis: Searching for a Man in the Desert and Finding the Kalahari Bushmen by John Ashford (Botswana 1990–92) Peace Corps Writers August 2015 216 pages $13.00 (paperback), $4.00 (Kindle) Reviewed by Julie R. Dargis (Morocco 1984-87) • “Follow the lightening,” the first people of the Kalahari said. At the end of the proverbial rainbow in Western culture, lies water, herds of wild animals, and life in the desert. For years, John Ashford fantasized about what it would be like to live the life of a Bushman. After years of contemplation, the photograph of Freddy Morris that John Ashford had once glimpsed in his hometown library, came to life. By the time the author met him, Freddy Morris had clocked nearly 90 years straddling two cultures. Before he set out on his journey, Ashford could lay claim to a half-life of Freddy’s experiences, the most relevant months boiled . . .

Now HERE’S the REAL Peace Corps Experience Bibliography

Aug 13 2016

Finally. Just finished assembling the definitive (as far as we know) list of books by RPCVs about the Peace Corps experience. CLICK “Books” at the top right of any page, then CLICK “Peace Corps Experience Books.”

Review: A REASON TO KILL by Carole Sojka (Somalia)

Aug 12 2016

So Many Reasons to Die: An Andi Battaglia – Greg Lamont Mystery by Carole Sojka (Somalia 1962–64) Create Space 2015 322 pages $14.00 (paperback), $3.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Matthew Hamilton (Armenia 2006-08 and Philippines 2008-10) • This evocative sequel to A Reason to Kill, by Carole Sojka (Somalia 1962-64), comes with all the sleaze, violence, and eroticism one expects to find on the sketchy side of Miami’s nightlife. One reader said, “There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.” I would have to agree. The story centers on the murder victim, Miranda Duncan, whom we never meet, but learn about through her friends, lovers, and enemies. She is indeed a fascinating character, a true femme fatale that led a life of intrigue, danger, and seduction. Sojka is an excellent researcher. Her descriptions of the murder scene and the way police conduct investigations are . . .

Terry A. AmRhein’s Democracy on the Edge wins book award (Swaziland)

Aug 11 2016

Democracy on the Edge, a Discussion of Political Issues in America by Terry A. AmRhein (Swaziland 1973-75) has been named the “Best Political Book” of 2016 by Pacific Book Review. AmRhein graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, and while in the Peace Corps he taught science and technology at the Swaziland Institute of Technology. After his tour he worked briefly as the National Advocacy Coordinator for the NPCA. Since his Peace Corps years, Terry has spent most of his career in the field of power generation. While working he also earned masters degrees in mechanical engineering and in business and was a professional engineer in New York State. Terry has published one other book, The Newcomers Guide to Winning Local Elections.

Review: A TIME THAT WAS . . . by Philip Salisbury (Liberia)

Aug 10 2016

A Time That Was . . .: A Peace Corps Volunteer’s Experience of Pre-revolutionary Liberia, West Africa, 1962–1964 Philip S. Salisbury (Liberia 1962–64) Xlibris 2014 244 pages $19.99 (paperback), $29.99 (hard cover) Reviewed by Lee Reno (Liberia 1963–65) • A Time That Was . . . is an interesting and engaging read, particularly for PCVs who were in Liberia before the Liberian civil wars, and perhaps their children. A PCV in the first group of PCVs to Liberia in 1962, Salisbury writes in his introduction, In the pages that follow, I present a rewrite of my journal entries. Despite gaps in coverage, I made an effort to recall days that were written about. My purpose is to communicate the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of a twenty-two year-old who was encountering his first experience in an unknown culture as well as provide a sense of the services I rendered to the Peace . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers — July 2016

Aug 09 2016

To purchase any of these books from Amazon.com — Click on the book cover, the bold book title, or the publishing format you would like — and Peace Corps Worldwide, an Amazon Associate, will receive a small remittance that will help support the site and the annual Peace Corps Writers awards. See a book you’d like to review for Peace Corps Worldwide? — Send a note to peacecorpsworldwide@gmail.com, and we’ll send you a copy along with a few instructions. • Democracy on the Edge: A Discussion of Political Issues in America Terry A. AmRhein (Swaziland 1970s) with Dr William K. Fifield Mill City Press 2015 300 pages $16.00 (paperback), $9.99 (Kindle) • In the Belly of the Elephant: A Memoir of Africa Susan Corbett (Liberia 1976–79) CreateSpace March 2016 396 pages $14.99 (paperback), $4.99 (Kindle) • White Moon in a Powder Blue Sky: A Primer in Healing from both Sides . . .

The Life of An African Peace Corps Child (Cameroon)

Aug 08 2016

Chia Alphonse Tasah is a team-building and cultural-diversity consultant at All World Languages and Cultures, Inc., in Kansas City, Missouri, where he makes presentations at conferences, seminars, churches, and schools. Chia was born and received his early education in Cameroon. During his secondary school years there, he was supported by Peace Corps Volunteers. Later he earned his master of education (MEd) in human resource development at the University of Minnesota. He recently publish a memoir The Life of An African Peace Corps Child: The Life and Experiences of a Peace Corps Child of Kom, Cameroon that is obtainable at www.chiatasah.com or iuniverse.com, (but not Amazon). I asked Chia if he would write a short essay about how three PCVs impacted his education and helped him in his career. He was nice enough to send me this account. — JC • The Impact of Peace Corps Volunteers in My Life by Chia Alphonse Tasah The Peace Corps program brought three . . .

More About Peace Corps Books at the Library of Congress

Aug 05 2016

Reference: New: Annotated Bibliography of Peace Corps Writers’ Books in the Library of Congress Filed by Gary Price on September 22, 2011 From the Bibliography Web Site: The Library of Congress celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps with this annotated bibliography of selected books in the Library of Congress collections authored by returned Peace Corps volunteers and a few former staff members. It contains a listing of 284 books published between 1964 and 2011. Each entry links to a Library of Congress Online Catalog record, which contains more information about the book. Although far from comprehensive, this selected bibliography is representative of the creativity, scholarship, and knowledge of the developing world of more than 1,000 Peace Corps writers. About 70 percent of the cited books are nonfiction and 30 percent, fiction. Less than a quarter are memoirs of the Peace Corps experience. The 233 authors served in the Peace Corps in 83 . . .

Writers At Work: MFA in Creative Writing for PCVs and RPCVs

Aug 04 2016

Writer At Work As you know from the announcements from the NPCA and emails from me, the Peace Corps cohort is comprised of current or returned PCVs, employees of the NPCA, or other members of the NPCA that have been closely involved with the Peace Corps. All members of the cohort must also be members of the NPCA to receive the 15% tuition discount for the program. The cohort is a unique opportunity. As a student you would be in a small cohort with other Peace Corps volunteers (current or former) who all want to pursue an MFA degree and write about their experiences in the Peace Corps or things inspired by that experience. The cohort will share three classes all instructed by me. But the program isn’t just about the Peace Corps experience. National University has had a long-standing MFA program that has produced hundreds of graduates in poetry, fiction, . . .

“Annotated Bibliography of Peace Corps Writers’ Books in the Library of Congress”

Aug 04 2016

The following is the introduction to a PDF file of a bibliography of Peace Corps writers’ books prepared by the Library of Congress. The listing drew on a Peace Corps Writers listing last updated in 2011.: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PEACE CORPS WRITERS’ BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS REVISED AND UPDATED NOVEMBER 2015 Rex A. Hudson, Federal Research Division ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This bibliography owes its existence to an exchange of letters between Rep. John Garamendi (Ethiopia, 1966–68) and Dr. James Billington, who served as the 13th the Librarian of Congress (September 1987–September 2015). In his letter of December 17, 2010 [see https://peacecorpsworldwide.org/pc-writers/files/2011/01/letter.pdf] (sic— link does not work), the Honorable Rep. Garamendi asked Dr. Billington to mark the special 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps on September 22, 2011, “by establishing a collection of books about the Peace Corps experience written by former Peace Corps Volunteers and Peace Corps staff.” In response, Dr. . . .

“Toothpaste” by E.T. Stafne (Senegal)

Aug 03 2016

Toothpaste E.T. Stafne (Senegal 1994–96) • I never knew such goddamn pain in all my life. My fingers searched out the offending patch of skin and found it just above my mouth. In my groggy, half-awake half-asleep state it felt like a fist-sized plug of tobacco shoved between my teeth and upper lip. That explained the bulging I felt, but not the intense pain. Slowly, I rose up from the hot and uncomfortable foam mattress, threw aside the frayed Peace Corps-issued mosquito net, and dragged myself over to the lone mirror in my possession, the one on the inside cover of a Silva compass. Not meant for self-inspection of deformities, its size did not allow for the full effect of horror that I would have realized with a regular-sized mirror. This small one gave me the illusion that it wasn’t all that bad, just a small bump. But as . . .

Review — LIPS OPEN AND DIVINE by Matthew Hamilton (Armenia, Philippines)

Aug 03 2016

Lips Open and Divine (poetry) by Matthew A. Hamilton (Armenia 2006–08, Philippines 2008–10) Winter Goose Publishing 2016 107 pages $11.99 (paperback), $4.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Ann Neelon (Senegal 1978-79) • As the Roman dramatist Terence famously wrote, “I am a man. Therefore nothing human is foreign to me.” More than most writers, especially young ones, Matthew A. Hamilton succeeds in giving us an authentic sense of this human amplitude. The range of Lips Open and Divine, his second book of poems, is astonishing. Whether it is in “Thich Quang Duc” witnessing the flames crawling up a self-immolating Buddhist monk’s arms like “a tamed cat” or in “Chickamauga” “accepting/the dry-bone shouts/of a lost cause,” Hamilton is on the scene. His originality lies in his ability to go for the jugular in terms of shock value while remaining, essentially, within the realm of prayer. Hamilton is a veteran as well as . . .

Review — CONSULTING IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, A PRIMER by John Holley (Colombia)

Aug 02 2016

Consulting in International Development, A Primer John Holley (Colombia 1968-70) Infinity Publishing 2014 452 pages $26.95 (paperback), $8.95 (Kindle) reviewed by Russ Misheloff (Ethiopia 1962–64) • DRAWING ON 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, Mr. Holley has developed a comprehensive description of the life and functions of international development consultants. The book is organized into three sections covering: the process of entry into the profession, and why one might want to consider it; the “basics,” to use the author’s term; a discussion of what consultants in the development arena do, and what abilities, attitudes and behaviors the good ones exhibit; and an extensive examination of some tools and concepts. In sum, it presents a “primer,” as the title indicates, but a thorough one, providing a wealth of information and insight into the functions, the life style, the rewards, the drawbacks, and the abilities and disposition needed for success in development consulting . . .

The Murder of Deborah Gardner (Tonga)

Aug 02 2016

The murder of Deborah Gardner in 1976 in Tonga still haunts the Peace Corps agency and particularly those who were in Tonga during this terrible time when the agency did not do justice to one of their own. I have written about this murder several times over the years and Jan Worth Nelson (Tonga 1976-78) wrote the 2006 novel Night Blind based on the murder. She alerted me to the recent documentary. It is part of a series called “Passport to Murder” produced for Discovery ID TV. The segment on Deborah Gardner was entitled “The Devil in Paradise.” It was aired on July 29, 2016. Jan, who was interviewed for the segment wrote me after it aired, “I have come to believe there probably isn’t any closure to be had. But unlike Emile Hons (Tonga 1974-76), I didn’t really know her AND, most importantly, I didn’t walk into that cursed hut to . . .

Last Day, August 1st. to Vote in Peace Corps Story Telling Contest

Aug 01 2016

The Peace Corps Office of the Third Goal is sponsoring a Story Telling Video Contest. RPCVs from many decades are represented. Here is how to view the videos and vote: Go to the Facebook link:https://www.facebook.com/pcthirdgoal/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1067581646663436 Click on the picture of your choice and it will bring you to the video. If you wish to vote for that video, return to the Facebook page and hit “like”. You may vote for as many videos as you like. Thank you to Katie (RPCV Mali and DR) for these instructions. There are real people actually answering the phone at the Office of the Third Goal!!

Archive - August 2016