Archive - September 21, 2024

Reflections in a College Bar Amidst the chit chit, and the chatter, The single cymbal, and the clatter, We made the scene. Amidst the lazy, stifling smoke, And the hungry wants of life, We saw the light: We watched a bright-eyed co-ed Hasten back from john to John. Knowing she had guessed his calculated look. We saw a bearded one playing pool. Satisfied with little billiards Never comprehending what lies, Unracked beyond this green. While in the back Two huddle deep in talk More ardent than any form of art. They, too, don’t know, or care, And that’s the pity. This perfect time of life Flies away always in the dark. John Coyne (Ethiopia 1962-64)    

RPCVs in the news — by Jeremiah Norris (Colombia 1963-65) Peter Hessler And, now let us present the man who brought China Home to America, Peter Hessler. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in China, 1996-98, teaching English at a Teacher’s College. Afterwards, Peter continued his work in China as a freelance writer for publications such as: The Wall Street Journal; The Boston Globe; The South China Morning Post; and National Geographic. He joined The New Yorker as a staff writer in 2000 and served as a foreign correspondent until 2007. Based on his experience as a Volunteer in teaching English, Peter has written four books on China: 1) River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze; 2) Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China; 3) Country Driving: A Journey from Farm to Factory, which is a record of Peter’s stories when driving a renter car from rural northern . . .