Time Among the Maya: Travels in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico by Ronald Wright Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I came across this travel classic after writing an essay published in ELAND Press and as a token of appreciation, the editor offered any three of their books. Naturally, my first choice was the book with the cover of the iconic Santo Tomas church of Chichicastenango which is filled with a mix of Indigenous flowers and women in traditional garb (traje), and the smell of incense emanating from the catholic church which often has chickens being sacrificed on the top. […]
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Million Mile Walker Dispatch: My Saddest Pleasure, A Personal Reflection, February 2022 Issue
Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, The highlight of this month was a personal note from the editor of ELAND Press in London, “Dear Mark, You have done Moritz proud!” This is in response to the essay they published in their newsletter, which they followed up with three ELAND books as a token of their appreciation. In Culture Watch, I’ll share a personal story about the growing efforts to ban books by school boards here in Arizona. Amongst all the craziness, a sense of humor is a must, so I’ve included Just Keep Laughing, My Writing, Interviews […]
Continue readingThe Dispatch October, 2021 Edition. New Stories of Individual Pluck & Charity Underscore How Cruel Our Society Is
New Stories of Individual Pluck & Charity Underscore How Cruel Our Society Is Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, I have several stories and articles worth reflection on the world we live in as well as a sad goodbye tale. Culture Watch will include a provocative look on what’s behind the “feel good” stories on our news feeds plus what’s behind the ongoing growth of the “Big Lie.” And, as always, you’ll find My Writing and Reviews, Voices of the Day, What Others Are Saying and an updated Calendar. On a personal note, we lost our 9-year-old Airedale, Ms. Margo, who was our 7th Airedale and […]
Continue readingMillion 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 […]
Continue reading“Solitude & Company,” by Silvana Paternostro, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
Solitude & Company: the life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez told with help from his friends, family, fans, arguers, fellow pranksters, drunks and a few respectable souls. By Silvana Paternostro Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I picked up this book in search of a similar presentation of a writer’s life to a book I’m working on, The Moritz Thomsen Reader to strengthen my proposal to attract a publisher. Moritz wrote Living Poor, and my book will be an anthology of the writers who knew him best. And “Gabo” is one of the great writers of Latin America recognized with the […]
Continue readingMillion Mile Walker Dispatch, The Yin & Yang of Travel: Post COVID-19, July Edition
Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, This month I’ll focus on my recent post-covid trip through the Southwest, which became more than just an adventure. I’ll also provide an update on and my latest article from “Revue Magazine,” and provide the latest Voice of the Day, What Others Are Saying, Calendar. Just click on the poster above for my latest Million Mile Walker Review: What We’re Reading and Why, which you can find on pages 14-16 of the Arizona Authors Association Newsletter. Finally, the open road . . . After hunkering down for nearly a year and a half, we emerged from the wilderness of the pandemic […]
Continue readingMillion Mile Walker Dispatch: Democracy Under Siege, The June Edition
Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, The January 6 attempted take over of the US Congress in an attempt to change Presidential results bore to the world the growing deterioration of democratic institutions and traditions here which will be the focus of this month’s Dispatch. I’ll have a few announcements and an update on our documentary film and as always include basic segments such as Culture Watch, My Writing / the Documentary & Book/Movie Reviews . We’ll look to Voice of the Day for inspiration, some comic relief with Just Keep Laughing and we’ll check in with What Others Are Saying. Just click on the poster above for an update […]
Continue readingMillion Mile Walker Dispatch, “The US in an Age of Constant War,” May 2021
The U.S. In an Age of Constant War Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, As the U.S. continues to depend on military solutions to deal with an ever-growing number of problems locally and around the world, militarization will be the focus of this month’s Dispatch. Basic segments will include the Culture Watch, My Writing the Documentary & Book/Movie Reviews. We’ll look to Voice of the Day for inspiration, and for some comic relief, with a new Just Keep Laughing when that’s all we can do, as well as What Others Are Saying. Just click on the poster above for my latest book reviews in “The Million Mile Walker Review: What We’re […]
Continue readingMillion Mile Walker Dispatch, Spring Edition, Reckoning with Mass Incarceration, April, 2021
Reckoning with Mass Incarceration Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, Spring has sprung and the desert is blooming in the Valley of the Sun! And with it – allergies, but it is a fair trade off. Now that the Minneapolis police officer has been charged with killing George Floyd in a historic case, it’s an appropriate time to analyze the impact our justice system has on the rest of society as part of Culture Watch. My Writing & Book Reviews will include several books and a movie. We’ll look to Voices of the Day, for inspiration as well as What Others Are Saying. Culture […]
Continue readingMillion Mile Walker Dispatch, The Impact of Climate Change, February, 2021
Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, 2020 and the beginning of this year were prone to ecological breakdown. Simultaneous climate disasters have roared, including the worst wildfire season in the history of California, record heat here in Arizona, record hurricanes coupled with drought in Guatemala and, most recently, the deep freeze and resulting infrastructural and leadership breakdowns in Texas, all of which will be the focus of Culture Watch, My Writing & Book Reviews, and will include several book reviews and a movie review. We’ll look to inspiration in Voices of the Day and, as always, What Others Are […]
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