Africa is a complicated place, and the Peace Corps Volunteers who have worked in 43 African nations have seen it all: from public executions to public celebrations to life in a time of AIDS. This heartfelt collection is the first of its kind to chronicle 50 years of Peace Corps service. Stories range from poignant to hilarious, involve political intrigue and cultural missteps, illuminating the joys and agony of volunteering abroad and representing the United States in the process.
Sixty stories provide a broad overview and give readers a glimpse into the life and times of these brave volunteers, who each learned at least one new language and went to work in the villages and cities from Morocco to South Africa. They worked hard, too. But in these stories you will see that they also danced, faced death by elephant, and witnessed unbearably grim events. One is admired for her “big butt, ” another reminded that he had taught proper police procedure in a time of civil unrest. Saying “I was there” is sometimes a bittersweet declaration.
About the author
Aaron Barlow is an accomplished writer and teacher. He is an Assistant Professor of English at New York City College of Technology, part of the City University of New York. Barlow, a specialist on the intersection of technology and culture, has written two books on New Media,
The Rise of the Blogosphere and
The DVD Revolution: Movies, Culture, and Technology and two on film, including
Quentin Tarantino: Life at the Extremes, released in 2010.
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