What Peace Corps Worldwide Is All About
Thank you all for all of the wonderful comments. They are overwhelming, Marian
Marian Haley Beil, publisher and John Coyne, editor – both Ethiopia PCVs 1962-64
Together we are currently responsible for the blog Peace Corps Worldwide and the Peace Corps Writers Imprint. Our efforts are at the heart of the Third Goal of the Peace Corps — to “bring the world back home.” We support the writings of RPCVs and PCVs in a positive way to educate Americans about the world and share with all who have a desire for international understanding.
Since 1989 John and Marian have been publishing about the many PCVs and RPCV writers. We have promoted their books, essays, poetry and stories; we have interviewed them; announced their new book publications; reviewed their books; published their books, and made it easy for our readers to obtain their books.
John is the schmoozer/editor/writer who gathers, and many times writes, the material; and Marian, the publisher, edits, designs, and distributes. In the days of our printed newsletters, she also arranged for printing and mailing. Now that we are online she design sites, edits all articles. and maintains a number of databases including one for 680 Peace Corps experience books, and another for more than 1900 authors.
WE’VE BEEN VOLUNTEERS FOR 34 YEARS
Newsletters — Between 1989 and 1990 seven issues of RPCV Writers were published each with 4 pages. We changed the title in 1991 to RPCV Writers & Readers, and eleven issues were published through 1992 and the number of pages grew. From 1993 to 1998 six 20-page issues were published each year.
Switching to online the website Peace Corps Writers ran from July 1999 to November 2008 — and continues to be available on the Internet.
The blog Peace Corps Worldwide has been running since December, 2008 and continues to this day.
In 1990 we began presenting annual awards in a variety of categories supported by Marian and John.
In 2010 we founded a book publishing imprint with the name Peace Corps Writers to enable PCVs and RPCVs to have their writings – especially their Peace Corps memoirs – to be published in print and as ebooks. To date 68 books have been published by the imprint about the Peace Corps experience. Marian manages the imprint.
TWO BOOKS OF FICTION & NON-FICTION BY PEACE CORPS WRITERS.
Going Up Country: Travel Essay by Peace Corps Writers published in 1994 by Scribner’s. Edited by John Coyne
Living On The Edge: Fiction by Peace Corps Writers published by Curbstone Press in 1999. Edited by John Coyne
Neither Marian nor John receives any remuneration for working on the imprint or any other activity relating to these projects. Any residual from voluntary contributions is used to support the awards.
Until the Pandemic, both John and Marian regularly participated in annual meetings, presenting workshop(s), and sponsoring a booth in the sales area for authors to sell their books.
It has been our pleasure for almost 35 years to devote our time, energy and creativity to promote the Peace Corps. “Labor of love” describes our volunteer work.
You have our thanks for this new prestigious award.
Dear Marian & John,
No, you have our thanks for a labor of unbridled love via Peace CorpsWorldWide! I get exhausted simply reading your daily output.
Well done, John and Marian!
Peace Corps readers and writers like me appreciate your promotion of our books, the prizes, and keeping us all informed about the literary activities of our fellow volunteers. Thank you both for your steadfast dedication to this important endeavor.
Dear John and Marian,
I have always looked forward to opening my email and finding new reports to read. You bring a whole world of stories to us, both strange and familiar at the same time. Since April I have not kept up with my reading (taking care of a dying sister) so now I have a lot to catch up on and I’m looking forward to all the wonderful stories waiting for me in this treasure box. The books you’ve made known and available by Peace Corps writers have also been most welcome. Thank you, thank you both for all your hard work.
Joyce Campbell, Ethiopia I
Thanks, Joyce. Great to hear from you. Amesegginalleliu!
Congratulations, John and Marian, on your well-deserved lifetime achievement award. Thank you for all you do for our community.
Robin Varnum
Afghanistan
Thank you John and Marian for all your efforts. This website is meaningful and valuable in some many ways. Very grateful to you both.
Dan Wofford (Ethiopia-family)
Thank you, Dan, and Marian and I owe so much to the “Wofford Family”.
Thank you John and Marian. You are both inspirations. Katie Baird, Mauritania
You folks are Giants in the peace corps world. Your work is invaluable and I am proud to have remotely gotten to know you folks. Hip hip hooray to you both
Kudos and thanks to you both for all you do for the Peace Corps community. The daily blogs help keep us all connected and remind us of the Third Goal. Congratulations on the well deserved recognition of your work.
Hello Kay – I just happened to be scanning the web and came across your comment above. I haven’t been to this site before so will look into their daily blogs. Do you still keep contact with Col III Volunteers? Barbara Stender
John and Marian! Remember Georgetown U, many shots, early morning calisthenics, and the Rose Garden! Learning Amharic in a language lab! Meeting Ethiopians for the first time! Wow! And we had not left the USA yet. All in the summer of 1962! And so the lifelong commitment began and here we all are so many years later! Congratulations for your diligence in building connections, memories snd promoting international awareness.
A well deserved award.
All the best……Sue Hoyt Aiken. Ethiopia 62-64
Thank you,Sue. Especially for all the great book reviews you do for the site over all these years. John
Thank you both for all of your time, effort and passion. If there is an online way to donate to the cause, would live to do so.
Sincerely
Rich
John (and, I am sure, Marian, too), You have given so much of yourself over these many years since your PC service, volunteer and staff. I know it’s what you love and you often denigrate (I was going to say poo-poo) the notion that is part of your continuing service. Even when you are doing what is fun for you, it can be of enormous value to those you are serving by it. It doesn’t mean you are heroic; it just means that you are doing something of value to others. Thanks for making me more of a reader, even when it’s only of the reviews you provide. Phil
Thank you, Phil. Great to hear from you.
Marian and John,
Kudos for your absolutely stupendous, fun, informative, reality-inducing, and ever mind-extending views and reviews from the decades of Peace Corps happenings. It brings memories and possibilities to the forefront. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the Peace Corps and to be able to follow its course through your incredible diligence and commitment.
Thank you for keeping up this premium effort over so many years. It is greatly appreciated and adds so much to all who tap into the richness.
Many congratulations and thanks for all of the work you have done and continue to do. If anyone would like to view some photos from 1962 from Georgetown to and in Ethiopia. You can follow this link https://youtu.be/YCelGkMUs4Y?si=ew0LpBzi9rCUtLn5
There are 7 short videos here created from the slides of Ray Donaldson. To watch all 7 takes about a half hour.
Thank you John and Marian for your extraordinary contribution to the history, legacy and contemporary world of the Peace Corps.
John and Marian, I can’t thank both of you enough for all of your supreme diligence in starting and maintaining the site. The steady stream of posts is always welcome and often read on my commutes to Tokyo. Through your warm and caring hearts I feel connected to the roots of a beautiful tree that you so diligently water so as to keep the splendid life of the Peace Corps alive and kicking…
John and Marian,
Congratulations to both of you and thank you so much for all of your efforts to accomplish the Third Goal of the Peace Corps to “bring the world back home,” which you’ve done thousands of times! You two are the epitome of the Third Goal, and all of us RPCVs are truly indebted to you for your many years of dedication and hard work. What you’ve created and produced, in addition to your own books, is a veritable treasure trove of publications that keep on coming year after year. What you’ve been able to do through Peace Corps Worldwide and Peace Corps Writers is truly amazing! You two and your publications are the glue that holds together the diverse group of RPCVs who are spread out around the world.
All the best,
Jim Skelton
Ethiopia 1970-72
John and Marian, as volunteers we all aspired to achieve sustainability, and you’ve successfully done it for, now, 34 years. Thank you both for creating and nurturing this great place for creativity, information, interchange, and goodwill.
Thank you all for all of the wonderful comments. They are overwhelming, Marian