2003 RPCV writing awards
Peace Corps Writers is delighted to announce its selection of award winners for books published during 2002. Once again, Peace Corps writers produced wonderful books in all genres last year, and choosing winners was difficult. As in the past, the committee looked for well written books that most reflected the Peace Corps experience. Congratulations to these fine writers:

		Paul Cowan Non-Fiction Award Power Lines: Two Years on South Africa’s Borders by Jason Carter      (South Africa 1998–2000)
		Maria Thomas Fiction Award In Revere, In Those Days by Roland Merullo      (Micronesia 1979-80)
		Award for Best Poetry Book Nomadic Foundations by Sandra Meek      (Botswana 1989–91)
		Award for Best Travel Writing At Sea in the City: New York from the Water’s Edge by William Kornblum      (Ivory Coast 1963–65)
		Award for Best Children’s Writing Voices from the Field: Readings and Writing About the World, Ourselves and Others Edited by Beth Giebus      (Morocco 1990–93), Cerylle Moffett      (Staff PC/W 2001–), Betsi Shays      (Fiji 1968–70).
		Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award “The Last Ride” by Elise Annunziata      (Senegal 1996–99) NOTE: During the past year we received many very fine essays and we ask RPCV writers to continue to send their writings on the Peace Corps experience to PeaceCorpsWriters.org.

Portland program
Peace Corps Writers will present two workshops at the NPCA's Annual General Meeting, August 1–3 in Portland, Oregon. “Publishing Your Peace Corps Story” will feature panelists: David Arnold (Ethiopia 1964–66), Craig Carrozzi (Colombia 1978–80), Sarah Erdman (Cote d'Ivoire 1998–2000), Barbara Scot (Nepal 1990–92), Rich Wandschneider (Turkey 1965–68) and myself. Marian Haley Beil (Ethiopia 1962–64) will moderate. I will also present “How to Write a Novel in 101 Days or Less.”

New this issue
We continue to publish Journals of Peace readings with the work of those who read between 5 and 6 p.m on November 21, 1988. From anti-war statements to excerpts from letters home, all are quite compelling.
     Medical student Glen Davis (Burkina-Faso 1995–97) reflects on the impact of his service on him in “A Writer Writes” with “Burkina-Faso . . . Always On My Mind.”
     We are again publishing an essay about the Peace Corps in “To Preserve and to Learn.” This issue’s selection comes from the early 1960s and focuses on Maurice L. Albertson, director of the Colorado State University Research Foundation, who received a contract to prepare a Congressional Feasibility Study of the Point-4 Youth Corps that was “to be made up of young Americans willing to serve their country in public and private technical assistance missions in far-off countries, and at a soldier’s pay.” Albertson then wrote a book about the first steps taken in founding the Peace Corps.
     We are “Talking With . . .” the novelist and travel writer Karl Luntta (Botswana 1977–80). Karl taught mathematics for three years as a PCV. He then became a training contractor and acting APCD in ten more countries in Africa, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. Since coming home he has been a travel writer, newspaper columnist, and now is Director of Media Relations at the University at Albany, State University of New York.
     Besides that, there is “Literary Type,” scads of “Recent Books,” reviews of five books by Peace Corps writers, and more. Read on.

— John Coyne
Editor