RPCVs Bissell & Meyer Win Guggenheims

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced today that in its eighty-sixth annual competition for the United States and Canada the Foundation has awarded 180 Fellowships to artists, scientists, and scholars. Peace Corps Writers Tom Bissell and Mike Meyer have both been awarded Guggenheims for 2010.  They were selected from a group of some 3,000 applicants.

Tom Bissell (Uzbekistan 1996-97)  is now an  Assistant Professor of English, Portland State University and will use his Guggenheim grant to research ” The evolution of the common perception of the Twelve Apostles.” Michael Meyer (China 1995-97),  from Golden Valley, Minnesota, is writing a book on ” Contemporary Manchuria and the Han Chinese farmers.”

Guggenheim Fellowships grants are given for a minimum of six months and a maximum of twelve months. The average amount of grant money is approximately $50,000.  No special conditions are attached to the grants, and Fellows may spend their grant funds in any manner they deem necessary to their work.