{"id":359,"date":"2014-01-14T16:22:56","date_gmt":"2014-01-14T21:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/?p=359"},"modified":"2023-04-07T14:07:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T18:07:53","slug":"sharing-experiences-with-the-world-memoirs-of-returned-peace-corps-volunteers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/sharing-experiences-with-the-world-memoirs-of-returned-peace-corps-volunteers\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing Experiences With the World: Memoirs of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\tWhether sharing tales of overcoming the challenges, adjusting to a new culture, or the humor found in daily adventures, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers each possess invaluable stories about the places they lived and worked.\u00a0 Adventure, challenge, and personal connections built across cultural boundaries provide the basis of volunteers\u2019 memoirs and narratives.\u00a0 Regardless of where they served, each story serves as a way to educate Americans about the rest of the world.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to what\u2019s available in the Peace Corps Community Archive, check out the library\u2019s growing collection of Peace Corps memoirs.\u00a0 This list is far from exhaustive, but includes some of the best memoirs on the shelf.\u00a0 Browse the shelves for other great reads.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/Beyond-Siberia.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-349 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/Beyond-Siberia.jpg\" alt=\"Beyond Siberia\" width=\"131\" height=\"208\" \/><\/a>Beyond Siberia: Two Years in a Forgotten Place<\/i> by Sharon Dirlam<br \/>\nBased on a collection of journals written during their time abroad, Sharon Dirlam presents the story of her and her husband\u2019s work as Peace Corps Volunteers in Birobidjan.\u00a0 Serving in a Jewish Autonomous Region of Russia, removed from most foreigners, the volunteers learned about native Russians and their culture in a unique way.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/From-Microsoft-to-Malawi.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-351 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/From-Microsoft-to-Malawi.jpg\" alt=\"From Microsoft to Malawi\" width=\"139\" height=\"208\" \/><\/a>From Microsoft to Malawi: Learning on the Front Lines as a Peace Corps Volunteer<\/i> by Michael L. Buckler<br \/>\nBuckler\u2019s memoir, inspired by his journals, depicts his yearning to serve after divorcing and completely changing career paths.\u00a0 The narrative recounts the fruitful collaboration between volunteers and locals in order to make significant changes within the community.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/South-of-the-Frontera.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-354 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/South-of-the-Frontera.jpg\" alt=\"South of the Frontera\" width=\"139\" height=\"208\" \/><\/a>South of the Frontera: A Peace Corps Memoir<\/i> by Lawrence F. Lihosit<br \/>\nLihosit narrates a story about joining the Peace Corps after losing his job, which led him to meet the woman he would eventually marry.\u00a0 In addition to providing a sense of adventure, he presents the professional and personal challenges of living, working, and traveling throughout Mexico and Honduras during the 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>T<a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/The-Unheard.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-358 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/The-Unheard.jpg\" alt=\"The Unheard\" width=\"135\" height=\"208\" \/><\/a>he Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa<\/i> by Josh Swiller<br \/>\nThe Unheard presents a different perspective on the Peace Corps experience.\u00a0 Josh Swiller attempted to act normal and fit in despite being deaf.\u00a0 He joined the Peace Corps to experience a new opportunity.\u00a0 His memoir recounts the daily events, as well as his work at a local health clinic.\u00a0 This story provides insight into the challenges and rewards of serving in the Peace Corps with a disability.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/Going-Up-Country.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-352 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2014\/01\/Going-Up-Country.jpg\" alt=\"Going Up Country\" width=\"143\" height=\"208\" \/><\/a>Other books in the library\u2019s possession include collections of stories from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.\u00a0 Varying from region of the world and type of work, the stories reflect on past experiences abroad.\u00a0 <i>Going Up Country<\/i> includes writers who return to the country of service to document the nation\u2019s growth, change, and what any visitor should know about the place.\u00a0 <i>Tales from Colombia<\/i> presents the perspectives of the earliest Peace Corps volunteers to Colombia called to action by President Kennedy\u2019s charge.\u00a0 Humor evades the stories,\u00a0ranging from around the world, included in <i>The Funniest Job You\u2019ll Ever Love<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Additional Suggestions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i>A Land Without Time: A Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan<\/i>, by John Sumser<\/li>\n<li><i>Even the Smallest Crab Has Teeth: 50 Years of Amazing Peace Corps Stories<\/i>, edited by Jane Albritton<\/li>\n<li><i>Going Up Country: Travel Essays by Peace Corps Writers<\/i>, edited by John Coyne<\/li>\n<li><i>Power Lines: Two Years on South Africa\u2019s Borders<\/i>, by Jason Carter<\/li>\n<li><i>Tales from Colombia: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 41 Peace Corps Volunteers Who Answered President Kennedy\u2019s Call to Serve<\/i>, by Gary Dean Peterson<\/li>\n<li><i>Tarnished Ivory: Reflections on Peace Corps and Beyond<\/i>, by Peter Bourque<\/li>\n<li><i>The Funniest Job You\u2019ll Ever Love: An Anthology of Peace Corps Humor<\/i>, edited by Lelah Conrad<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether sharing tales of overcoming the challenges, adjusting to a new culture, or the humor found in daily adventures, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers each possess invaluable stories about the places they lived and worked.\u00a0 Adventure, challenge, and personal connections built across cultural boundaries provide the basis of volunteers\u2019 memoirs and narratives.\u00a0 Regardless of where they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9,524,28,49,60,73,78],"tags":[279],"class_list":["post-359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-afghanistan","category-africa","category-blog-post","category-colombia","category-health","category-memoirs","category-peace-corps-history","category-publications","tag-peace-corps-third-goal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6786,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions\/6786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.american.edu\/pcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}