Citizenship | Literature
Select novels, short stories, and nonfiction on contemporary life.
What began as a bold experiment in grassroots service produced future ambassadors to help guide U.S. diplomacy through seven decades of global upheaval.
Read, Listen, Watch
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The screenplay will be a pistol report, a gunshot echoing across the naked landscape of America’s mythic past and shattered future. Rebuilt. Enduring.
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Light progresses stingily now: pm stretches a minute a day from Jan 3-27, the sun’s arrival steady at 7:27 each morning from Jan 1-11.
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“Happy New Year.” A simple admonition, a statement of hope and promise, but also of purpose. A happy year won’t just occur. You must make it occur.
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I wanted to reflect on what 2025 meant for me as a newly retired diplomat & RPCV, and and how SoftPower/FulStories contributed to that transition
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A boating excursion on India’s Kavery River brought unexpected sightings and peaceful reflection as we move from the holidays to preparing for the new year
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An author revisits a languishing biographical sketch, finishes it, and wins a Golden Nib in the Virginia Writers Club statewide nonfiction category.
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As the publication date draws near for Profiles in Service, the author puts in hours designing a cover jacket and reading the proof.
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Reviving last year’s tradition of a blog post every day in December. This might get nutty.
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What strikes you as a singular, foremost image to capture the spirit of Peace Corps service and U.S. diplomacy over the last half century?
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Award-winning author reads from his short story Down on Jupiter. Who can resist Floridaman? Or rubber chickens? Or Marla Jean imagining her boyfriend’s back: “Tenderize me, baby.”
Ben East Books 