Dear Colleagues and Fellow Writers from Around the World, After a quick update on the cover for my next book, My Saddest Pleasures, I’ll provide my take on the growing cost of war and what we can do about it in Culture Watch. What We’re Reading and Why will be a twofer— with a recent article How Scammers Impact Writers as well as the latest book I reviewed and then What Others Are Saying, plus an updated Calendar. While we wait for the Library of Congress Number for Peace Corps Writers to begin publishing my book, here’s the first draft […]
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Sir Vidia’s Shadow: A Friendship Across Five Continents by Paul Theroux, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
One of the joys of reviewing books is getting to know fellow writers, which is why I selected this book, as I admire both writers. Paul Theroux’s Sir Vidia’s Shadow is one of the most intimate, unsettling, and revealing portraits of a literary friendship. It is a study in mentorship, ambition, ego, and the corrosive effects of genius on human relationships. The book traces Theroux’s thirty‑one‑year relationship with V. S. Naipaul—beginning in a University in Kampala in the mid‑1960s, when Theroux was a young Peace Corps teacher, and Naipaul was already a rising star—and follows its evolution through admiration, dependence, […]
Continue readingThe Village of Waiting by George Packer, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
I first came across Packer from his cover story “The Valley,”—the second-longest that The Atlantic published in the past 40 years, in which he provides a kaleidoscopic view of the precarious political and physical ecology of Phoenix regarding climate change, which meant a lot to me in the summer of 2024 as we were suffering record-breaking, triple-digit temperatures. I had no idea he was a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer until a fellow PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) serving in Togo gave me a heads-up. When I started reading his memoir, I realized it was ideal for the Million Mile Walker Review. […]
Continue readingShelter, Service & the Next Chapter in Life, The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, April Edition 2026
Dear Colleagues and Fellow Writers from Around the World, Downsizing from an abode of more than 30 years is a challenge at best, and we’re in the middle of that journey—here’s what we’ve learned so far. It’s also an ideal opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going. In Culture Watch, I’ll tell a story that illustrates housing inequality in Phoenix; then What We’re Reading and Why will highlight the books I’ve donated and why; then What Others Are Saying, plus an updated Calendar. Downsizing from a home of 30-plus years can be a slog. It’s also […]
Continue readingAsian Trail Mix: True Tales from Borneo to Japan by Eric Madeen, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
As a fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer author, I’ve read, enjoyed, and reviewed several of Madeen’s books. “True Tales from Borneo to Japan” caught my attention since Borneo was the first site the Peace Corps offered me, although when I applied, all slots were filled, so I followed his trail. Also, I became aware of his appreciation for Joseph Conrad and shared his fascination with “The Heart of Darkness.” I appreciated Madeen’s deliberate retracing of Conrad’s footsteps. In the opening chapter, In Conrad’s Wake, Madeen travels from Singapore to Berau in Kalimantan (Borneo), a reminder of Conrad’s seafaring voyages. He […]
Continue readingSouth American Handbook, Editors Daniel Austin and Ben Box, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
A century-old travel companion is worth celebrating — especially one that shaped my five-month journey through Latin America in 1973. The South American Handbook just released its Centenary Edition (2025), marking over 100 years as the longest-running English‑language travel guide. Few travel books can claim to have shaped the lives of generations of wanderlust trekkers. Fewer still can say they have done so for more than a century. The South American Handbook—first published in 1921 and now celebrating its 100th anniversary edition under the stewardship of Daniel Austin and Ben Box—belongs to that rare lineage of books that are […]
Continue readingHustle: The Making of a Freelance Writer by Lawrence Grobel, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
With over 4 million books being published each year, people are reading less; the consolidation of the publishing industry focuses on the bottom line (sales), and now, with the introduction of AI, freelance writing is more challenging than ever. Lawrence Grobel’s book is a sweeping retrospective of a career spanning six decades, 30-plus books, and hundreds of magazine articles. More than a memoir, it is a blueprint for survival in the precarious world of freelancing. Grobel’s reflections are candid, instructive, and deeply human, offering aspiring writers a rare glimpse into the craft and lifestyle of one of journalism’s most accomplished […]
Continue readingSurprises at the Arizona Authors Association Literary Conest & My “SoftPower” Interview Drops This Month; The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, December Edition
Dear Colleagues and Fellow Writers from Around the World, I have some compelling stories of the Arizona Authors Association Contest, what I heard when listening to my “SoftPower” interview and an update on My Saddest Pleasures. A heads up on the impact of financial inequality in the U.S. in Culture Watch a new book and movie review in What We’re Reading and Viewing and Why a few inspirational quotes in What Others Are Saying plus an updated Calendar. But first, as “Giving Tuesday” which was established to encourage generosity and community giving around the world is upon us, let’s make […]
Continue readingMy Twin Cities: Rio and Buenos Aires by Steve Kaffen, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
This book caught my attention as it focuses on two of my favorite cities in South America and fond memories of my own trek through the region in the early 1970s. Buenos Aires always felt like a little piece of Italy and merited the nickname, “The Paris of South America.” The author brings the insights of a veteran writer with over a dozen travel books to his name so far, and his photographs add color and culture to everything he does. The book is not just a guide; it’s an immersive experience combining cultural observations, historical context, and hundreds of […]
Continue readingAn Expanded Edition of My Saddest Pleasures in the Works & Arizona’s Missing Voice in Congress, Million Mile Walker Dispatch November Edition 2025
Dear Colleagues and Fellow Writers from Around the World, That’s right—I’m responding to requests to expand my second book with new stories. I’ll also provide highlights of Desert Nights, Rising Stars writing conference. In Culture Watch a few words on why Arizonans are missing a representative in Congress. In What Others Are Saying some commentary from readers and a special book review in What We’re Reading and Why about one of my favorite places, Sierra Leone as well as an important announcement in the updated Calendar. Although the response to my book was positive, a growing number of readers complained […]
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