Columbia River Peace Corps Association Supports RPCV Writers
Textor's book is a classic and should be back in print. I don't know how to create such a demand.…
Bill Stein (Niger 1990-93) President of the Columbia River Peace Corps Association sent out a notice on upcoming meetings with RPCV authors. Bill and his group are supporting our writers. Thanks, Columbia River!
Monday, December 6, 2010: Tinker, Irene: Crossing Centuries: A Road Trip Through Colonial Africa (2010). The website now contains transit directions to Irene Tinker’s home in the Mirabella Portland.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011: Moritz Thomsen (Ecuador 1965-67) Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle (1969). Note that this book was earlier slated for discussion in February.
Mid-February 2011 (date TBA): Peter Hessler (China 1996-98): River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (2001). Peter Hessler will be at Powell’s City of Books on 2/15 reading from his latest book, Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory (2010), and he’s graciously offering to meet with us some time during his Portland visit that’s not booked by his publicist. We’re aiming for before our 2/13 potluck, our normal time (6:30-8:00 pm) on Valentine’s Day or Wed 2/16, or after his 2/15 Powell’s appearance.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011: Tom Bissell (Uzbekistan 1996): Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia (2004). Tom Bissell lives in Portland a good part of each year, but he’s presently working hard on his next book. It’s possible we could yet change the March book if he names a future month (in 2011 or 2012) he’d be willing to meet with us.
Monday, April 18, 2011: Robert Textor (PC/HQ 1961-64) (editor): Cultural Frontiers of the Peace Corps (1966). This book is out-of-print, but thanks to Bob Textor and the Multnomah County Library, 4-5 copies will be circulating between December 6 and April 18. Happy reading!
Bill… I am still in Nepal, arriving back in Portland area on Dec 4th. After that I’ll put something together around the presentation of my latest book: Big Dogs of Tibet and the Himalayas: A Personal Journey (Orchid Press, Bangkok, 2010).
I am looking forward to getting back home again, and back in touch.
Cheers,
Don Messerschmidt (Nepal-2, 1963-65), RPCV Writer.
I just re-read sections of Textor’s book, “Cultural Frontiers of the Peace Corps” published in 1966. The final chapter on Conclusions, Problems and Prospects is excellent and should be revisited by those managing the agency.
Dr. Ronald A. Schwarz
Colombia I (1961-63)
Textor’s book is a classic and should be back in print. I don’t know how to create such a demand. John, could used copies be purchased through your connection with Amazon? I received my used copy as a birthday gift, this year. Textor has a webpage:
http://www.stanford.edu/~rbtextor/
He is the author of the original “Up and Out” memo, which is included in the appendix of the book. I would love to read an interview with him. I don’t know if it has already been done.