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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Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone by Betsy Small, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone By Betsy Small (Sierra Leone, 1984-1987) University of Michigan Press: Law, Meaning and Violence series. Reviewer Mark D. Walker (Guatemala 1971-1973) Betsy Small’s Before Before offers a deeply personal and historically rich account of Sierra Leone, blending memoir and ethnography with emotional resonance. She draws from her Peace Corps service in mid-1980 and a return visit in 2013 with her daughter. This memoir is more than a recollection—it’s a meditation on cultural exchange, colonial legacies, and the fragile threads of memory that bind us across time and geography. Like […]
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 […]
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