Tony D’Souza (Cote D’Ivoire 2000–02, Madagascar 2002–03) published a short essay, “Ivory Coast, 2000” in the June 12, 2006 New Yorker. The essay was part of the magazine’s annual issue focusing on international issues and writing.
     D’Souza’s debut novel Whiteman has received the same charmed launch in the UK as it did in the States, enjoying rave reviews from all the major London papers. Tony appeared on the BBC, contributed an essay to The Mail one Sunday, and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter. Of London, he says, “It may be the birth place of our very language, but what’s with the food? Bangers and mash? Bubble and squeak? And they ask me how I could have eaten bat in Africa.”
     In the July/August 2006 issue of Poet&Writers Tony is one of four first-time novelist featured by the magazine. Tony talks about how his mother, who was a PCV in India from 1966-69, suggested that he join the Peace Corps — “she said I’d have plenty of time to write in the Corps. Well, maybe in India, but not in my village. There were flies on my eyelashes, the paper stuck to my arm, and there were twenty-five kids at the door.” A year after he returned from Africa, Tony spent five months writing Whiteman. His agent sold it three week later to Harcourt.

The influential Kirkus Review gave a star review in the June 15, 2006 issue to Kris Holloway’s (Mali 1989–91) memoir of her Peace Corps years, Monique and the Mango Rains. Writing about the memoir, the reviewer said the book is a “moving story of a warm friendship between an American Peace Corps volunteer fresh out of college and a young Malian health worker.” And then adds how when Monique came to America she agreed to only “after learning that she will be able to sit inside the plane and not cling to the outside.” Watch for this book; it is the best Peace Corps memoir to be published since Sarah Erdman’s Nine Hills to Nambonkaha.

With the help of her agent, Scott Mendel, Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen (Tanzania 1989-91) sold her young adult novel The Compound in a two book deal to Feiwel and Friends, the new children’s imprint at Holtzbrinck.

Margot Porter Miller (Niger 1972–74) has published in 2006 fiction pieces: “Waves” in Chick Flicks Ezine, March, 2006; “Close Encounter” in Long Story Short, April, 2006; “Waking Accidentally in the Dark,” winner of the May 2006 Fiction Writing Contest at Subtle Tea, May/June 2006; and “The Old Maths Teacher” in LitDispatch (Two) in Jun, 2006. This summer the following stories will appear: “Naked and Stranded” and ”Untitled”, both in Long Story Short, July 7, 2006; and “The Farewell” in Steel Moon, August 2006.
     Her recently published creative non-fiction is: “Warren Peabody,” appeared in Long Story Short in April, 2006; “On Time”, the unabridged version of the piece called “Aissa,” on the Peace Corps Writers blog at its inception, and also appeared on-line at Write Side Up, Spring 2006 and in their print edition.
     In poetry, Miller has published “Carry-on Baggage” in Moonlit Thoughts, edited by Mark Lane and Amanda Read, Dogma Publications, “Bicester, Oxon, UK,” June 2006. Three poems will appear in Static Movement Online, July 2006: “Into the Sea of Shattered Silicate”, “My Mother Never Held My Hand”, and ”All Done Here, Going Out of Business.”

Chris Conlon (Botswana 1988–90) has a short story “The Wild Track” online at the literary journal The King’s English. Click on “Current Issue” to read the story.
     This year, Chris has published Thundershowers at Dusk a collection of five Gothic stories published by Rock Village Publishing; and Poe’s Lighthouse, an original fiction anthology edited by Chris and published by Cemetery Dance.