Arts and Literature

Notable returned Peace Corps Volunteers in Arts and Literature.

• 

  Ron Arias,

  author of The Road to Tamazunchale (Peru 1963-64)

  His Peace Corps experience helped Arias cover stories in developing countries across the Americas and Africa.

• Edmund Blair Bolles,

  author of A Second Way of Knowing (Tanzania 1966-68)

• Catherine Bowman,

  author of Rock Farm, Notarikon and 1-800-HOT-RIBS; recipient of Peregrine Smith Poetry Prize (Niger 1984-86)

• Mark Brazaitis,

  author of River of Lost Voices: Stories from Guatemala (Guatemala 1990-93)

• Lisa Fisher Cazacu,

  author of Bread Salt & Plum Brandy (Romania, 2002-04)

• Broughton Coburn,

  author of Everest: Mountain Without Mercy (Nepal 1976-78)

• Richard "Kinky" Friedman,

  author of Blast From the Past (Malaysia 1967-69)

• Taylor Hackford,

  Academy award-winning producer of Ray, An Officer and a Gentleman; and The Devil's Advocate (Bolivia 1968-69)

• Kent Haruf,

  author of Plainsong, recipient of the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature (Turkey 1966-68)

• Susana Herrera,

  author of Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin; contributor to Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul: Stories to Celebrate the Spirit of Courage, Caring and Commitment (Cameroon 1992-94)

• Peter Hessler,

  author of River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (China 1996-97)

• Laurence Leamer,

  author of The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family (Nepal 1965-67)

• Peter Lefcourt,

  television writer and author of The Woody (Togo 1962-64)

• Leonard Levitt,

  reporter for Newsday and author of An African Season (Tanzania 1963-65)

• Phillip Margolin,

  author of Gone, But Not Forgotten and The Burning Man (Liberia 1962-64)

• Martin Puryear,

  sculptor (Sierra Leone 1964-66)

• Robert D. Mowry,

  Dworsky Curator of Chinese Arts at Harvard (Korea 1967-69)

• Bob Shacochis,

  author of Easy in the Island, winner of the American Book Award (Eastern Caribbean 1975-76)

• Joel Shapiro,

  sculptor (India 1965-67)

• Mildred Taylor,

  author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, winner of Newbery Award (Ethiopia 1965-67)

• 

  Paul Theroux,

  author of Mosquito Coast and Great Railway Bazaar (Malawi 1963-65)

  Theroux is the author of numerous books, from The Mosquito Coast to Fresh Air Fiend: Travel Writings, 1985-2000.

• Mary-Ann Tirone Smith,

  author of An American Killing (Cameroon 1965-67)

• Annabelle Townson,

  author of We Wait For You (Romania 2001-2003)

• Richard Wiley,

  author of Ahmed's Revenge and Soldiers in Hiding, winner of PEN/Faulkner Award (Korea 1967-69)

Last updated Oct 22 2009