Tag: Writing
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20 Years On: Peace Corps & Writing
Today’s the day 20 years ago that two score optimistic & good-willed Americans gathered at the 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to begin the most excellent adventure I know, a blend of humanitarian endeavor, mutual group support, and self-reliance in the face of a great unknown. We were to spend the next 27 months as Peace Corps Volunteers in…
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The Ding Dong Reader
Ever since we moved in three years ago, visitors to our home have announced their arrival with a sick-sounding doorbell. Ding–Dunk, it sadly played. My reaction mirrored this dreary tune. Oh dear, who’s come to see us now? When the button finally gave way—a crack became a hole became an entirely broken piece of plastic more likely to…
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Bart Simpson, Foreign Service Officer
I was driving the boys to a wishing well Sunday morning when good fortune came my way: NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me was airing Not My Job. Talented people were supposed to do something without drawing on their talent. The talent in this case was Bill Oakley, who turned a Foreign Service exam cop…
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Indies Make it Great
These independent writers are Making Books Great Again: screamingskullpress.com roguepress.net joylesshousepublishing.com paperandinkzine.co.uk vidlit.com Who else do you support by reading, reviewing, and sharing?
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No Whizzpopping Allowed!
How do you celebrate six years of Mohan? A small party with big guests, of course! Yes, all the invitees came to make dream jars in our former home, the BFG’s cave. And while they ate snozzcumber sandwiches and guzzled delicious frobscottle sodas and chomped on fleshlumps of watermelon, the evil giants ran off with the dream jars and deposited…
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Peace Corps Writer’s Crime Debut
Congrats to fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Chris Orlet (Poland, 1992-94), who’s debut novel In the Pines came out this month from New Pulp Press. New Pulp is home to many other fine noir and crime writers like Mark Richardson (see my review of Hunt for the Troll–2015). NPP released my neo-noir satire, Two Pumps for the Body Man, this…
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this is what i do when… #3
Papa, Pirates, & Pork Booty In Episode 3 of “this is what i do when i should be…” we explore Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, not far from Hemingway’s boyhood haunt of Walloon Lake near Petoskey. Other side of Mackinac Bridge in Lake Huron lie Les Chenaux Islands, where we were graciously hosted by Nina Abnee, daughters Louise…
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The Big Zero
The latest from Don DeLillo subjects readers to suffocation in a plotless environment hosting flat characters who live out an endless procession of questions about life, death, and the consequences in between. That is Zero-K. Whether or not the flattened nature of this enterprise is intentional—to emphasize confinement, restriction, joylessness, life as a movement toward death—the result is…
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Peace Corps Writers 2015
The Peace Corps and Returned Peace Corps writing community at Peacecorpsworldwide is seeking nominations for favorite books published in 2015 written by a PCV, RPCV or Peace Corps Staff. I’ve compiled a partial list of the books released last year here, and welcome feedback on additional titles, reviews, and links. Paul Cowan Non-Fiction Award First given in…
Ben East Books 