The Scandal of the Century and Other Writings by Gabriel García Márquez, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker

“I don’t want to be remembered for One Hundred Years of Solitude, nor for the Nobel Prize, but rather for the newspaper. I was born a journalist and today I feel more than ever that I am a reporter. It’s in my blood.” After all the accolades of his fiction writing, few appreciate how important journalism was to Marquez and overlook the importance to journalism to learning to tell a story and writing fiction. The author’s strong political sensitivity and involvement was impacted by the political violence which interrupted his academic. In April 1948 the assassination of the charismatic politician […]

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Love in Any Language: A Memoir of a Cross-Cultural Marriage, by Evelyn Kohl LaTorre, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker

  I have a soft spot for books written by tough, honest women who bring an inner sense of who they are and what’s different and unusual around them. I also appreciate simply told memoirs from fellow travelers, especially Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. As I told the author, her timing couldn’t be better (the book drops later this month), since my Guatemalan wife and I are closing in on our 50th anniversary, making this an opportune time for me to appreciate, reflect and celebrate our matrimonial journey and what makes for a successful blended marriage. I’ve already reviewed the author’s […]

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Million Mile Walker Dispatch: The Afghanistan Debacle, August Edition

The Afghanistan Debacle! Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, This month’s Culture Watch will focus on the disastrous departure of the U.S. from Afghanistan after twenty years and over $2 trillion, as well as a brief segment on initiatives to overcome income inequality by promoting low-income housing. As always, I’ll include My Writing and Reviews, Voices of the Day, What Others Are Saying and our Calendar. Culture Watch Although the media is laser focused on the military pull-out in Afghanistan, little is being said about what is behind the U.S. spending $2 trillion over 20 years on America’s longest war. Over 6,000 U.S. troops and private […]

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