The Peace Corps

2016 Award for Best Short Stories Collection Making Love While Levitating Three Feet in the Air Jeff  Fearnside (Kazakhstan 2002–04) Stephen F. Austin University Press December 2016 Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet, Volume II Cliff Garstang (Korea 1976–77), editor and contributor; Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1990-93, staff 1995-96), contributor; Pamela Hartmann (South Korea, 1973–75), contributor Press 53 September 2016 Brevité: A Collection of Short Fiction Stephen Mustoe (Kenya 1983–84) Peace Corps Writers May 2016 In the Valley of Birds by Rebeka Fergusson-Lutz (Romania 2001-03) CreateSpace Publishing August 2016 Phobos & Deimos: Two Moons, Two Worlds by John Moehl (Camaroon 1974–80) Resource Publications August 2016 The Wetback and Other Stories Ron Arias (Peru 1963–65) Arte Publico Press September 2016 On the Wide African Plain: And Other Stories of Africa Rick Fordyce (Ghana 1978—80) Merrimack Media August 2016 Off To The Next Wherever by John Michael Flynn (Moldova 1993-95) Fomite Publisher April 2016 If you . . .

 2016 Award for Best Travel Book Moon Colorado Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping Joshua  Berman (Nicaragua 1998–2000) Avalon Travel Publishing April 2016 Sailing between the Seas: The Panama Canal Leita  Kaldi Davis (Senegal 1993–96) CreateSpace March 2016 Tales of a Silver-Haired Volunteer: Going Far and Giving Back Carole  Howard (staff spouse: Ivory Coast, Togo, Senegal 1972–75) Gatekeeper Press May 2016 Tales of Family Travel: Bathrooms of the World by Kay Gillies Dixon (Colombia 1962–64) Peace Corps Writers October 2016 A Minor Odyssey Keekee Minor (India 1966–67; staff: CD/Marshall Islands 1991–92) Bar Nothing Books July 2016 If you have a travel book published in 2016 by a PCV or Peace Corps Staff that you wish to nominate, email: jcoyneone@gmail.com  

2016 Award for Best Poetry Book Lips Open and Divine Matthew A. Hamilton (Armenia 2006–08; Philippines 2008–10) Winter Goose Publishing April 2016 Double Chai Quilt: Selected Poems 1980–2016 Steve Rapp (Benin 1986–88) Harvard Bookstore April 2016 If you have a book of poetry novel published in 2016 by a PCV or Peace Corps Staff that you wish to nominate, email: jcoyneone@gmail.com

Inclusion: The Dream and the Reality in Special Education Jeanne D’Haem (Somalia 1968–70) Roman and Littlefield July 2016 Proverbial Laughter of the World: Afghanistan to Zimbabwe by Nicholas Hoesl ( Afghanistan 1965-67) LaughterDoc Publications September 2016 The President’s Butler (satire) by Laurence Leamer (Nepal 1964-66) Foggy Bottom Books September  2016 One Million Frogs: Lessons About Entrepreneurship Learned the Hard Way Rhett Power (Uzbekistan 2000–01) and Peter Gasca Mill City Press June 2016 White Moon in a Powder Blue Sky: A Primer in Healing from both Sides of the Veil in Memoir, Sonnets and Prose    Julie R. Dargis (Morocco 1984–87) Indie House Press July 2016 Visions of a Lost and Future World   Philosophy/Ethics Jane Stillwater (South Africa 2007) CreateSpace May 2016   If you have a special book published in 2016 by a PCV or Peace Corps Staff that you wish to nominate, email: jcoyneone@gmail.com  

Peace Corps Writers Book Awards Nominations are now being accepted by Peace Corps Writers for its awards for best books published during 2016 and written by PCVs, RPCVs, and Peace Corps staff. Do you have a favorite to nominate? Or did you write a book that you would like to have considered? Please recommend your candidates for the following categories: Paul Cowan Non-Fiction Award Maria Thomas Fiction Award The Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award (for best memoir on the Peace Corps experience) Award for Best Poetry Book Award for Best Travel Writing Award for Best Children’s Book Award for Best Book of Photography Read MORE ABOUT OUR AWARDS. Send in your nominations by June 30, 2017 to: jcoyneone@gmail.com  

  WHEN MIKE MCCONE arrived in Malawi as the new Peace Corps Director in August of 1965 he met PCV Paul Theroux who was teaching in Blantyre at the teacher’s college, Mike told me when I interviewed him for an article I wrote about Theroux for the January 1998 issue of RPCV Writers & Readers.  Theroux asked for McCone’s permission to resume publishing the Volunteer newsletter, The Migraine, which the previous director had banned because the first issue had an editorial by Paul critical of U.S. policy on South Africa. McCone told Paul he could publish the newsletter. Theroux put together the next issue of The Migraine which was full of prose and poetry, facts and fiction, plus opinion pieces. In this issue, Paul had a two-paragraph editorial critical of U.S. policy in Vietnam. As a routine matter, McCone sent a copy to the U.S. Embassy in Blantyre. Two weeks later, when he was on . . .

  Mike McCone, executive director of the California Historical Society during crucial years that were to determine its survival and later board chair at Heyday Books in Berkeley, died May 9 after a sudden onset of leukemia. McCone’s death was confirmed by his companion of 20 years, Charlene Harvey. Mike was 83 and had been living in an assisted living facility in San Francisco. Among the institutions for which he worked during his nonprofit management career, besides the historical society, were the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Grace Cathedral. Mike McCone was one of those famous Mad Men of the early Peace Corps days, but unlike the Washington types, Mike cut his teeth in the agency overseas. He worked on the staff as a deputy in Sierra Leone, and then director in Malawi, Malaysia, Sarawak and back in Washington. He was with the Peace Corps from 1961 to 1967. . . .

When Gaddi Vasquez left the agency on September 7, 2006, he was replaced quickly by another Republican, Ron Tschetter, on September 26. Ron was an RPCV, having served in India with his wife from 1966-68. Ron was from Wisconsin, had a career in finance, and after the Peace Corps would move to Florida and retirement. At the agency, I’m told, he focused his attention on getting older Volunteers. (I will forgive him from changed the name I had given my idea, “Crisis Corps” to “Response Corps.”) Ron would be Director until January 16, 2009. During his tenure, the attrition rate increased to 35%, the highest since the first Gulf War. But there were positive movements with the Peace Corps for Ron. In the fall of 2007, 59% of all Volunteers were women. (In the 1960s, 65% of all PCVs were men.) Ethnic minority Volunteers jumped to 17%. Unfortunately, he would not . . .

  I HAVE HEARD from individuals familiar with the Peace Corps that the convenient three Headquarter buildings that the Peace Corps has enjoyed for all of their existence — some 56 + plus years —will soon be history. The agency will move before the end of the year to the far southwest of the District, out close to the Beltway. The Peace Corps will also likely be sharing a building with another government agency. No longer will the Peace Corps have a footprint in the heart of the Nation’s Capital. The first Peace Corps HQ was at 806 Connecticut Ave across from Lafayette Park and with views of the White House. It was called the Maiatico Building and immortalized in a famous Washington Post photograph showing how the Peace Corps was working far into the night to launch the new agency. The second building was at 1990 K Street NW. I am not sure who was the director at . . .

National University’s online MFA program has yet to launch a PCV & RPCV MFA cohort, though several Peace Corps Volunteers are already enrolled and taking classes. (The farthest away from sunny California and the main campus of Natural University is PCV Sally La Rue in Mongolia. Sally finishes up in-country this summer, will tour on her way home with her husband, and be back in an online class this fall wherever they decide to settle down.) I am now teaching a class (No Peace Corps Volunteers in it) on non-fiction for National University. While I have only ‘met’ my students online, they range in age from 23 to 65. All are getting their MFAs in Creative Writing. While National University has one of the few ‘totally online” programs, online classes are increasing across the US. Just last week Purdue University announced it was buying for-profit Kaplan University to boost enrollment . . .

Florence, From the Simple to the Spectacular Is it worth an overnight flight to Firenze for a taste of gelato at La Carraia near Ponte alla Carrala? Is it worth a sleepless night on a jet for a sandwich of street food (porchetta and more) at all’Antico Vinaio near the Uffizi Gallery? Or perhaps dinner, after a day of sightseeing, at the friendly neighborhood hangout Alla Vecchia Bettola on the Piazza Tasso? Yes, it is. Throw in Florence’s showier treasures—the Medici Chapel, the Duomo, and the leather-goods stores, to name just a few—and this ancient yet lively Italian city becomes an irresistible destination. Last year my wife and I planned a trip to Florence for early May, hoping to beat the rush of summer tourists (we did). We wanted a room with a glorious rooftop view and a location within an easy walk of the museums, churches and restaurants—and to . . .

(CNN)Hours after CNN reported on an internal document advising administration employees that former first lady Michelle Obama’s signature education initiative would not be maintained, the White House said the program had not changed. “There have been no changes to the program,” said Kelly Love, a White House spokeswoman, referring to the “Let Girls Learn” initiative, which Obama launched in 2015. “There have been no changes to the Let Girls Learn program. The Administration supports policies and programs to empower adolescent girls, including efforts to educate them through the completion of secondary school.We are committed to empowering women and girls around the world and are continuing to examine the best ways to do so.” The White House’s response came after an internal Trump administration document showed plans to end the “Let Girls Learn” program, which facilitates educational opportunities for adolescent girls in developing countries. “Moving forward, we will not continue to use . . .

Thanks to the ‘heads up’ from Bill Preston (Thailand 1977-80) On this morning’s Brian Lehrer show, Douglas Brinkley and Stephen Kennedy Smith talked about JFK and their new book, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Among other things, the Peace Corps was mentioned. http://www.wnyc.org/story/jfk-centennial

The White House has discontinued Michelle Obama’s signature “Let Girls Learn” initiative, effective immediately. Internal documents obtained by CNN direct Peace Corps employees not to use the “Let Girls Learn” name or branding. While they may continue some “Let Girls Learn” projects, the Peace Corps will no longer maintain a stand-alone “Let Girls Learn” program. The initiative, which focused on educating girls around the world, was run primarily by the Peace Corps and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). A spokesperson from USAID told The Independent the agency is “committed to empowering women and girls around the world” and are “continuing to examine the best ways to do so.” Ms Obama launched the $250 million initiative in 2015 with the aim of using public and private partnerships to fund “new efforts to expand educational opportunities for girls – including in areas of conflict and crisis.” In the two years since its . . .

Thanks for the ‘heads up‘ from Barry Hillenbrand (Ethiopia 1963-65) INDEPENDENT AGENCIES PEACE CORPS (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS) The Act provides $410,000,000 for Peace Corps.