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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Navratri celebrates the victory of good over evil. The Hindu goddess Durga defeats the demon Mahishasura during nine nights of epic war. Diwali begins 20 days later.
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Telephone service disruption is a nuisance, but customers who experience unauthorized changes can file an FCC Slam Report and hold their provider accountable.
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Joe McCarthy led a witch hunt that in turn led to required reading for all U.S. high school students: Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible.
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As a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, Brenda Brown Schoonover found people were interested in her views as an American, not as an African American.
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Ben East shares a story about Parker Borg, tapped by Ronald Regan to be U.S. Ambassador in Mali, the first Returned Peace Corps Volunteer in such a position
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Writing about the Zen Buddhism saying “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water,” yard work, and visiting the dump.
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Sketches of distinguished American diplomats from my forthcoming book, Profiles in Service.
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Novelist Ben East introduces a new podcast about building international relations for a stronger America.
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My latest novel has achieved critical mass. I’m no longer inventing the figments of a void, but rather connecting the last pieces of a puzzle with finite space to go astray. All creative energy is bent toward that one objective.
Ben East Books 