I’ve read and reviewed several of the author’s books. We were both Peace Corps Volunteers in Central America and worked in West Africa, although Wentling went on to work and travel in 54 African countries over the years. My favorite book from his “African Trilogy” is “Africa’s Embrace,” which is fiction, but reflects his experience working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa in the 1970s. This book begins in Ethiopia with a young woman’s struggle to be a migrant worker to support her family. It is a fictional story based on her experience with his Ethiopian wife. She […]
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The Moritz Project & A Setback for Global Freedom of Expression: The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, March April Edition 2025
Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, This month’s Dispatch will be a “Twofer” for several reasons—first, it is the March and April edition, and the second one is revealed below. I’ve completed my latest essay on Moritz Thomsen which will be part of my next book. I share a revelation from my latest presentation for the Phoenix Writers Club and make a shout out about the work of SEEDS for the Future. Culture Watch will include setbacks on global freedom of expression, followed by What We’re Reading and Why, What Others Are Saying, plus an updated Calendar. I’ve received […]
Continue readingThe Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
I’ve read and reviewed the last seven books from the “Dean of Travel Writing,” Paul Theroux. I wrote my latest book, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, in honor and appreciation of Theroux and another travel writer, “who personally knew and was inspired by Moritz Thomsen and passed their enthusiasm on to me.” Thomsen wrote the Peace Corps experience classic, Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle. Theroux’s book, The Tao of Travel, celebrates 50 years of travel writing and inspired my series, “The Yin & Yang of Travel.” Theroux is probably the most prolific of the Returned Peace Corps writers, with […]
Continue readingLos Nawales: The Ancient Ones Merchants, Wives and overs: the Creation Story of MaXimon by Vincent James Stanzione, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
Reviewed by Mark D. Walker During a recent visit to Guatemala, my Guatemalan wife picked this book up at the Museum Miraflores, which focuses on the ancient city of Kaminaljuyu. My grandchildren were fascinated with an interactive exhibit to identify one’s “Nawales” or ancient ones. After reading the book, I realized it offered a rare window into Maya Cosmology. Vincent James Stanzione’s limited edition work (one of only 750 printed copies) offers readers an extraordinary glimpse into the enigmatic cult of Maximon and the complex spiritual landscape of contemporary Maya communities around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Francisco Goldman (The Are […]
Continue readingNeighbors: Oral History from Madera California Vol. 4 by Lawrence Lihosit, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
Over the years, I’ve read and reviewed several of the twenty books of fellow author and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer “Lorenzo” Lihosit. He was a volunteer in Honduras and married a lady from Mexico, and I was a volunteer in Guatemala and married a señorita from there. I used his Peace Corps Experience: Write & Publish Your Memoir to write my first book, Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, proofed his Oral History from Madera, California, and agreed with the Madera Tribune, “The best of its kind in print. Like Volume 1, the author offers real-life stories by citizens of Madera, California. […]
Continue readingPeace Corps Epiphanies: Panama by Anson K. Lihosit, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
I’ve written my own Peace Corps memoir and reviewed many others of fellow RPCV writers, so when my author friend and fellow RPCV writer, Lawrence Lihosit mentioned that his son was also a Peace Corps Volunteer and had written a book about his experience, I offered to review his book. Lawrence is a prolific writer and I just recently reviewed his latest book, Those Who Are Gone, which is about a time long past in my own community of Scottsdale, Arizona. I also used one of his 17 books, Peace Corps Experience: Write & Publish Your Memoir to write my […]
Continue readingThe Making of the Moritz Thomsen Reader–a New Book, The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, February Edition 2025
Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, This year, I’m working on a new book, The Moritz Thomsen Reader. I’ll outline the initial plan, ask for input, and end with an updated Calendar. But first, click on the Poster above to see the latest Arizona Authors Association Digest, which includes the Million Mile Walker Review on top books for 2024 (pg. 23), a sighting of my latest book in Antigua Guatemala (pg. 10) and my critique of Paul Theroux’s essay on Expats, as well as my latest essay on traveling with granddaughters (pg. 54). Moritz is part of a talented […]
Continue readingFavorite Books of 2024 & Much More! Million Mile Walker Dispatch, January 2025
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Fellow Writers, Happy New Year, one and all! After a brief overview of one writer’s life in 2024, I’ll share some of my best reads of the year and What Others Are Saying. The Guatemala Reader Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories reached “Best Seller” status, received excellent reviews, and the BestBook Award for Nonfiction Travel: Self Discovery and Travel Journals. A successful Kickstarter campaign brought together friends and readers to support my work, and they pitched in to fund most of the publishing and marketing expenses. Although I produced a series of “incentives” and offered deluxe […]
Continue readingBest Books of 2024 & Much More! Million Mile Walker Dispatch, January 2025 Edition
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Fellow Writers, Happy New Year, one and all! After a brief overview of one writer’s life in 2024, I’ll share some of my best reads of the year and What Others Are Saying. The Guatemala Reader Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories reached “Best Seller” status, received excellent reviews, and the BestBook Award for Nonfiction Travel: Self Discovery and Travel Journals. A successful Kickstarter campaign brought together friends and readers to support my work, and they pitched in to fund most of the publishing and marketing expenses. Although I produced a series of “incentives” and offered deluxe […]
Continue readingMy Take on Paul Theroux’s Reality Check for Expats
Paul Theroux, one of the most prolific Returned Peace Corps travel writers, provides an insightful rendition of the plight of expats. He reminds us with a quote from obnoxious nativist Pap Finn from the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” that Americans have complained about the state of affairs here, and many have acted on the threat to find refuge abroad, which is ironic today when millions are putting their lives at risk coming here. Those leaving often are looking for something new, according to Theroux. Pap Finn’s rant, “A man can’t get his rights in a government like this. Sometimes I […]
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