The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? By Francisco Goldman Reviewed by Mark D. Walker “The Long Night of White Chickens” was my introduction to the author and I’ve been a fan ever since. His mother is a Catholic Guatemalan, his father Jewish American, and he was born in Boston, so he started off with a very interesting combination of influences. The book is a tense, almost surrealistic detective story which opens windows on the Latin American reality of State Sponsored assassinations, mara youth gangs and organized crime. The author’s insights come out of his coverage of the […]
Continue readingBook Review – Latin America: American Dirt
American Dirt By Jeanine Cummins Reviewed by Mark D. Walker As someone who has traveled through and around Mexico multiple times, I was attracted to this number one blockbuster for Hispanic Literature. Recently, I reviewed Paul Theroux’s, “On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey,” and that, plus the brutal murder of the defenseless Mormon family by the cartel in the northern state of Sonora made this a must read for me. The story begins in Acapulco, which was one of Mexico’s key resort centers, although over the years it has become increasingly violent. Lydia owns a bookstore there and […]
Continue readingBook Review – Latin America: The Adventures of Mr. Puttison Among the Maya
The Adventures of Mr. Puttison Among the Maya By Victor D. Montejo Reviewed by Mark D. Walker I read this book years ago in Spanish and decided to obtain the English version to review in order to introduce it to a broader audience. I have interacted with the author during my research for the production of a documentary on immigration, “Guatemala: Trouble in the Highlands.” He is a distinguished Anthropologist, author, poet and a native speaker of the Maya Popb’alti language. The principal character, an American traveler turns up in a remote Maya village in the Department of Huehuetenango in […]
Continue readingNewsletter: October 2018
The growing income inequality and decreasing social mobility in the U.S. and abroad is a growing concern and, as a fundraiser, I’ve been in touch with some of the wealthiest people in the world and some of the most isolated and at-risk groups. The two books I reviewed reflect this reality, starting with a New York Times best seller on charity and philanthropy, and the “Crossing Class” anthology. But first, I’d like to share my recent visit with award-winning, Guatemalan film Director, Luis Argueta, who hosted screenings of his three films in Tucson and Phoenix. He also visited some of […]
Continue readingNewsletter: September 2018
The memory of Senator John McCain strikes an important cord this week due to the politics as usual going on in Washington as of late. “I was an imperfect servant, but I was always a servant,” he said. He was willing to cross party lines for what he considered the better interests of his country. In the late 1990s when I was with Food for the Hungry, I arrived in the wee hours of the morning at Sky Harbor airport, and there was McCain, reading his newspaper alone, no staff, no body- guards, no Lear Jets. In 2012, I visited […]
Continue readingNewsletter: August 2018
International travel has been a passion of mine as a time of self-discovery and transformation, and many of my stories are part of my book “Different Latitudes,” which is why it’s now ranked number 66 for “Travel, Central America, Guatemala” on Amazon. The power of travel was also what I discussed with some of the readers at the Barnes and Noble “Authors Event” at Desert Ridge in Scottsdale on July 28th. Barnes and Noble carries my book now so I’ll turn up at other outlets down the line. Special articles and reviews: This is why I’ve written a special review […]
Continue readingNewsletter: July 2018
I have some news about a new article as well as some “Cross Border” issues. The article, “My Life in the Land of the Eternal Spring,” is about a chance encounter with my oldest daughter on a coffee plantation in Guatemala and how it impacted my choice of professions. The article has been published in this month’s Ragazine, an online, global publication: http://ragazine.cc/2018/07/mark-walker-creative-nonfiction/. Read the newsletter . . .
Continue readingNewsletter: June 2018
Anthony Bourdain’s untimely death at the age of 61 shocked me and many of his fans, as he’d become an ambassador for the U.S. when we most needed one and used his platform to remind his audience how our lives are intertwined with those in the most remote parts of the world. No matter where he was in the world, his allegiances were clear; he gravitated to people who had been victimized by unjust political or economic systems. Read the newsletter . . .
Continue readingNewsletter: May 2018
First off I’ll be sharing my new video on “The Making of Different Latitudes” as well as a number of special book reviews of two premier travel writers and, at the end, I’ll introduce my “Word of the Day.” “The Making of Different Latitudes” video is brief but powerful. My son, John, was the cameraman and a fellow Returned Peace Corps friend and award winning documentary director, Hal Rifken, directed it while a local video guru, Donald Griffith, edited it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZmJhe-E9rc&feature=youtu.be. Read the newsletter . . .
Continue readingNewsletter: April 2018
I’d like to introduce you to a special book, Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, and my favorite part of the book, Why That Is a Problem and What To Do About it, by Richard Reeves, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. I’ll also have an update on the Rotary/Peace Corps partnership, an overview of an article on the power of philanthropy worldwide and several new book reviews. Read the newsletter . . .
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