Traveling to Guatemala with Granddaughters, Million Mile Walker Dispatch, August Edition 2024

Dear Colleagues & Friends from Around the World,  Putting together my photo album of our three-week sojourn through Guatemala with two granddaughters allowed me to reflect on the pluses and downsides of such a trip. I’ve revised my website based on this experience and the best-selling book. I have some new What Others Are Saying quotes and some new What We’re Reading (and viewing) and Why, topped off with an updated Calendar. And, as a special BONUS, click on the Million Mile Walker poster above for the latest Arizona Authors Association Dispatch. It includes an exceptional segment on the making […]

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Just Returned From Guatemala With Several Surprises! Million Mile Walker Dispatch, July 2024

Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, I returned from a three-week trek through Guatemala with my wife, son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters. The first of many surprises relates to the Indigenous girl on the cover of The Guatemala Reader. I’ll share some of the beauty I saw in The Land of the Eternal Spring. In Culture Watch, I’ll highlight some of the devastating effects of climate degradation, the impact of immigration, and an updated Calendar. During my visit to Guatemala, I planned to visit several friends and contacts. On one of those visits, I hand-carried a copy of The Guatemala […]

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The Guatemala Reader is a Best Seller! The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, June 2024

Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, We exceeded the Kickstarter goal by 239%, and the funds allowed us to roll out The Guatemala Reader as the #1 New Release for Guatemalan History and the #1 Best Seller for Central American Travel! In Culture Watch, I’ll highlight the most recent work of three of the “Extraordinary Lives” in my new book. What We’re Reading and Why will introduce the latest book by Maya Anthropologist Victor Montejo, and end with a compelling Voices in Action and a summary of our upcoming trip to Guatemala with two granddaughters in the Calendar. As a bonus, click on […]

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We Just Reached Our Kickstarter Funding Goal! Three Weeks Remain to Do More!

Friends, Colleagues, and Writers Around the World Thank you to our backers for helping us reach our funding goal. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. We still have three weeks to go! Every extra dollar will allow us to expand the project to a larger audience and educate and inspire a larger audience about Guatemala and the book’s extraordinary lives and awesome stories. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/guatemala/the-guatemala-reader Please continue to share the link to the Guatemala Reader Kickstarter platform, which explains the objectives and the different formats of the books—hardcover and paperback—along with the “rewards,” such as a […]

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A Note from the Million Mile Walker: The Guatemala Reader is Live on Kickstarter!

Friends, Colleagues, and Writers Around the World I’ve been unavailable for the last several months finishing up The Guatemala Reader, now available on Kickstarter! Please share the project with friends and contacts, as it includes a brief video and background information on the making of this project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/guatemala/the-guatemala-reader After traveling, working, and writing about Guatemala for 50 years, I’ve focused this project on some of the country’s extraordinary people and amazing stories.   The purpose of the project includes: Educate and inspire people to learn more about Guatemala. Introduce extraordinary lives and stories to generate more empathy for those heading […]

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One Writer’s Review of 2023, Million Mile Walker Dispatch, December 2023

Dear Colleagues and Fellow Writers from Around the World, Happy New Year, one and all! I like to sit down at the end of a year and focus on the highlights I want to build on for the coming year. I’ll also look at one of our country’s most crucial issues in Cultural Impact. My Writing and Reviews will include a few of my favorite books and a movie, a special section on Those We Lost, followed by Voices in Action, What Others Are Saying, and a Calendar update. 2023 represents my sixth year as a full-time writer, and this […]

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Guatemala, My Personal Lodestar, Million Mile Walker Dispatch, November 2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, On a personal note, I have several announcements about my involvement with the Arizona Authors Association. Culture Watch will focus on attempts by the Guatemalan attorney general to prevent the President-elect from taking office.  My Writing and Reviews will highlight my forthcoming book and plans for a Kickstarter campaign and a review of a classic satire about Guatemala and a TV series from Indonesia. Voices in Action will include an insightful quote. What Others Are Saying will provide the latest praises for my forthcoming book, and the Calendar will be updated.  My […]

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Elites & Inequality: the Path to Political Disintegration & the Guatemala Reader, Million Mile Walker Dispatch, September 2023 Issue

Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, This month, I’ll provide an update on my forthcoming book, The Guatemala Reader, and the situation with the Presidential election there.  In Culture Watch, we’ll look at the impact of the growth of elites and inequality in the U.S. My Writing and Reviews will include the latest book and movie reviews. Voices in Action will include a provocative quote, and the Calendar will be updated. The Guatemala Reader: I’ve decided to self-publish to preserve the 20 essays and include photographs, a map, a bibliography, and an updated version of “Democracy in Crisis.” […]

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The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, August 2023 Issue: The Making of The Guatemala Reader

  Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, This month, I’ll reveal the secrets of making my forthcoming book, The Guatemala Reader, which is especially timely given the watershed events following the Presidential elections. In Culture Watch, I’ll tell how one teacher and her daughter organize a Summer Spanish Camp for the grandkids while some State officials try to eliminate bilingual education. I’ll share the latest Arizona Authors Association newsletter in My Writing and Reviews. Voices in Action will include a provocative quote and an updated Calendar. Although recognition of My Saddest Pleasures as the 2023 recipient of the […]

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The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, July 2023, Best Travel Book & Poverty by America

Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, I want to reflect on the meaning behind my latest book being named by the Peace Corps Writers Award as the Best Travel Book. Culture Watch will introduce a compelling book by Matthew Desmond and then explain why Phoenix feels like the “canary in the mine,” as triple-digit temperatures have been the norm for 26 days. I’ll share my column in the Arizona Authors Association newsletter in My Writing and Reviews. Voices in Action will include a provocative quote from author Matthew Desmond, and I’ll end with an updated Calendar.  My Saddest […]

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