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 […]
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My Latest Journey to Guatemala with a Granddaughter, The Million Mile Walker Dispatch, August 2025
Dear friends and fellow travelers from around the world, Anna, Mark and our tour guide, Juan One of the highlights of my recent trek to Guatemala with my twenty-one-year-old granddaughter Anna was birdwatching for some of the 700 bird species at the Finca San Cayetano, at the foot of the Volcanoes of Fuego and Acatenango. We saw the colorful, green parrots as well as exotic birds with strange, long tails (our altitude was too low to see the elusive quetzal). Volcanoes El Fuego and Acatenango By far, the most exciting part of the trip was the 5.7 earthquake that occurred […]
Continue readingGuatemala Bound: With A Granddaughter! Million Mile Walker Dispatch, June 2025
Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, Today, I’ll roll out the plans for our next trip to Guatemala. The No Kings events will be the focus of Culture Watch. Then, it’s ‘What We’re Reading and Why,’ a new Scanning Project segment, ‘What Others Are Saying,’ plus an updated Calendar. We’re going to Guatemala with our 20-year-old granddaughter, Ali, as part of our master plan to introduce our grandkids to other languages and cultures, as well as the birthplace of their parents and grandmother. On our last trip, I heard complaints that we were seeing too many things and […]
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 readingTraveling 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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