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Proud recipient of The BookFest literary award! The Guatemala Reader for Nonfiction Travel: Self Discovery & Travel Journals. #bookreviewer #bookrecommendation #millionmilewalker
A century-old travel companion is worth celebrating — especially one that shaped my five-month 1973 journey through Latin America. The South American Handbook just released its Centenary Edition, marking over 100 years as the longest-running English‑language travel guide. www.millionmilewalker.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:04 PM
A century-old travel companion is worth celebrating — especially one that shaped my five-month 1973 journey through Latin America. The South American Handbook just released its Centenary Edition, marking over 100 years as the longest-running English‑language travel guide. www.millionmilewalker.com
he latest SoftPower/FulStories episode “Hamse Warfa” is timely— a portrait of an incredible Somali-American leader in the Twin Cities. With escalating ICE operation--check this out!. #socialjusticeeducation #softpower #Minnesota #millionmilewalker
www.softpowerfulstories.org/23-hamse-war...
www.softpowerfulstories.org/23-hamse-war...
#23 - Hamse Warfa
Hamse Warfa is the CEO of World Savvy, a non-profit organization that equips educators and students with the skills, perspectives, and global awareness needed to th…
www.softpowerfulstories.org
January 23, 2026 at 2:39 PM
he latest SoftPower/FulStories episode “Hamse Warfa” is timely— a portrait of an incredible Somali-American leader in the Twin Cities. With escalating ICE operation--check this out!. #socialjusticeeducation #softpower #Minnesota #millionmilewalker
www.softpowerfulstories.org/23-hamse-war...
www.softpowerfulstories.org/23-hamse-war...
A graphic look at our President's key question to the public, "What Can My Country Do For Me?" So far, that includes 20 overseas projects, including a $1.5 Billion golf complex outside of Hanoi +$867 million through Cryptocurrences--and he's just warming up. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | How Trump Has Used the Presidency to Make at Least $1.4 Billion
The president took an oath to serve the American people. Instead, he’s focused his second term on enriching himself and his family.
www.nytimes.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:55 PM
A graphic look at our President's key question to the public, "What Can My Country Do For Me?" So far, that includes 20 overseas projects, including a $1.5 Billion golf complex outside of Hanoi +$867 million through Cryptocurrences--and he's just warming up. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
My latest book review. A perfect guide for future No Kings protests from a Christian perspective. #bookreviewer #bookrecomendation #millionmilewalker millionmilewalker.com/2026/01/sepa...
January 15, 2026 at 9:01 PM
My latest book review. A perfect guide for future No Kings protests from a Christian perspective. #bookreviewer #bookrecomendation #millionmilewalker millionmilewalker.com/2026/01/sepa...
As we enter the Christmas season, I'm sharing this reminder from Presbyterian Pastor Jose Luis Casal, I found in the latest edition of Sojourners. #immigrants #immigrantsmakeamericagreat
December 23, 2025 at 9:50 PM
As we enter the Christmas season, I'm sharing this reminder from Presbyterian Pastor Jose Luis Casal, I found in the latest edition of Sojourners. #immigrants #immigrantsmakeamericagreat
A veteran travel writer's take on two of my favorite South American cities, Buenos Aires and Rio! My latest review is published by Peace Corps Worldwide. #BookReviewer #bookrecommendation #southamericanhandbook #adventuretravel #millionmilewalker
peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com/p/review-rio...
peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com/p/review-rio...
Review: Rio and Buenos Aires: My Twin Cities, by Steve Kaffen (Russia, 1994-96; HQ staff 2003-11)
A new travelogue from a prolific globetrotter
peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:21 PM
A veteran travel writer's take on two of my favorite South American cities, Buenos Aires and Rio! My latest review is published by Peace Corps Worldwide. #BookReviewer #bookrecommendation #southamericanhandbook #adventuretravel #millionmilewalker
peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com/p/review-rio...
peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com/p/review-rio...
My latest essay on traveling through Guatemala was published by Literary Yard. It's part of the Yin & Yang of Travel Series. I'm a contributing writer, and they've published seven essays so far. literaryyard.com/2025/12/18/t...
Literary YardTraveling Through the Land of Eternal Earthquakes with a Granddaughter!
By Mark D. Walker Part of the Yin & Yang of Travel Series How and why my wife Ligia and I travel has changed radically over the last fifty years. From day trips around Guatemala with Ligia̵…
literaryyard.com
December 22, 2025 at 5:53 PM
My latest essay on traveling through Guatemala was published by Literary Yard. It's part of the Yin & Yang of Travel Series. I'm a contributing writer, and they've published seven essays so far. literaryyard.com/2025/12/18/t...
The Walker segment of SoftPower FulStories! Much of it takes place in Guatemala, with some interesting questions about fundraising for international causes. The story covers 50 years of travel! #softpower #guatelinda #guatemalatravel #millionmilewalker www.softpowerfulstories.org/19-mark-d-wa...
#19 - Mark D. Walker
He calls his enterprise "Million Mile Walker," which is both a pun (his name, after all, is Mark Walker) and a description of a decades-long journey that has taken …
www.softpowerfulstories.org
December 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The Walker segment of SoftPower FulStories! Much of it takes place in Guatemala, with some interesting questions about fundraising for international causes. The story covers 50 years of travel! #softpower #guatelinda #guatemalatravel #millionmilewalker www.softpowerfulstories.org/19-mark-d-wa...
My interview is tomorrow! This podcast is a revealing tapestry of human connection, where foreign aid is not a transaction but a relationship. Together, these stories challenge conventional narratives and offer a compelling argument for soft power grounded in humility. www.softpowerfulstories.org
SoftPower/FulStories
Epic weekly tales from every corner of the globe. Forget politics, academia, or the office, these are "soft, powerful stories" told by those who lived them. Is what…
www.softpowerfulstories.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
My interview is tomorrow! This podcast is a revealing tapestry of human connection, where foreign aid is not a transaction but a relationship. Together, these stories challenge conventional narratives and offer a compelling argument for soft power grounded in humility. www.softpowerfulstories.org
A Boston University School of Public Health Study puts the death toll at 340,000 due to US funds cut for overseas health care. Cuts for the US HIV program, PEPFAR resulted in the deaths of 142,679 adults and 15,188 children in a year. Estimated deaths by 2030: 14 million.
pepfar.impactcounter.com
pepfar.impactcounter.com
PEPFAR Impact Tracker
Track the impact of PEPFAR funding halt
pepfar.impactcounter.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:39 PM
A Boston University School of Public Health Study puts the death toll at 340,000 due to US funds cut for overseas health care. Cuts for the US HIV program, PEPFAR resulted in the deaths of 142,679 adults and 15,188 children in a year. Estimated deaths by 2030: 14 million.
pepfar.impactcounter.com
pepfar.impactcounter.com
The latest "SoftPower" story of Denise Deneaux paralleled my own. I, too, was in Chile in 1973 under the Pinochet-declared State of Siege. She worked among the Mapuche people and has been a music teacher for 23 years in the U.S. www.softpowerfulstories.org/17-denise-de...
#17 - Denise Deneaux
It makes sense that one of Denise Deneaux's early literary heroes was a woman who traveled the world with utter fearlessness. Because later, as a Peace Corps volunt…
www.softpowerfulstories.org
December 8, 2025 at 4:38 PM
The latest "SoftPower" story of Denise Deneaux paralleled my own. I, too, was in Chile in 1973 under the Pinochet-declared State of Siege. She worked among the Mapuche people and has been a music teacher for 23 years in the U.S. www.softpowerfulstories.org/17-denise-de...
The reviewer Steve Kaffen said, " Your book needed several readings because of its depth, and the writing was for me alternatively piercing, warm, and enveloping."https://open.substack.com/pub/peacecorpsworldwide/p/review-the-guatemala-reader-by-mark?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Review: The Guatemala Reader, by Mark D. Walker (Guatemala, 1971-73)
A diverse collection of essays dig into all sides of Guatemala, its history and people.
open.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:07 PM
The reviewer Steve Kaffen said, " Your book needed several readings because of its depth, and the writing was for me alternatively piercing, warm, and enveloping."https://open.substack.com/pub/peacecorpsworldwide/p/review-the-guatemala-reader-by-mark?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
The latest Softpower podcast features the author of River Town — an award-winning book about his Peace Corps experience in China in 1996.He was one of 14 members of his Peace Corps group--and has written several books and many articles on China- www.softpowerfulstories.org/16-peter-hes...
#16 - Peter Hessler
Out today! Peter Hessler knew from an early age that he wanted to be a writer. He was also vividly aware that he needed something to write about. It turned out that…
www.softpowerfulstories.org
December 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The latest Softpower podcast features the author of River Town — an award-winning book about his Peace Corps experience in China in 1996.He was one of 14 members of his Peace Corps group--and has written several books and many articles on China- www.softpowerfulstories.org/16-peter-hes...
In 1983, there were 15 billionaires. Today, there are more than a thousand--with our first Trillionaire on the way."The greatest social disruption is driven by households in the top one-tenth of 1%." One member of the Oscar Mayer fortune explains our options.
sojo.net/sojoshare/Mj...
sojo.net/sojoshare/Mj...
Billionaires Are a National Disaster
Chuck Collins on how income inequality undermines everyone’s quality of life—even the most wealthy.
sojo.net
November 24, 2025 at 9:07 PM
In 1983, there were 15 billionaires. Today, there are more than a thousand--with our first Trillionaire on the way."The greatest social disruption is driven by households in the top one-tenth of 1%." One member of the Oscar Mayer fortune explains our options.
sojo.net/sojoshare/Mj...
sojo.net/sojoshare/Mj...
Night Train to Lisbon with Jeremy Irons 🎬—based on the acclaimed novel, it follows a man who saves a young woman from jumping off a bridge, only to see her vanish. His search for her takes him deep into a memoir’s passages, leading him toward a doctor and the mysteries of her past. Check it out!
Night Train to Lisbon (film) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 23, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Night Train to Lisbon with Jeremy Irons 🎬—based on the acclaimed novel, it follows a man who saves a young woman from jumping off a bridge, only to see her vanish. His search for her takes him deep into a memoir’s passages, leading him toward a doctor and the mysteries of her past. Check it out!
70 Authors participated in the literary awards luncheon of the Arizona Authors Association at the Moon Valley Country Club. As a board member, I spoke about the importance of partnerships and book reviews. I read the acceptance speech for my friend and poet Earl de Berge, Big Ears Jack and Friends.
November 17, 2025 at 4:57 PM
70 Authors participated in the literary awards luncheon of the Arizona Authors Association at the Moon Valley Country Club. As a board member, I spoke about the importance of partnerships and book reviews. I read the acceptance speech for my friend and poet Earl de Berge, Big Ears Jack and Friends.
My latest review--a compelling story set in Sierra Leone, West Africa..https://peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com/p/review-before-before-a-story-of-discovery?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4fd24473-1d71-4f1d-99a1-bad1543b9b6c_1000x1500.jpeg&open=false
November 13, 2025 at 3:14 PM
My latest review--a compelling story set in Sierra Leone, West Africa..https://peacecorpsworldwide.substack.com/p/review-before-before-a-story-of-discovery?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4fd24473-1d71-4f1d-99a1-bad1543b9b6c_1000x1500.jpeg&open=false
Known as the "Bible" by backpackers like me in the early 1970s, it crammed everything you needed to know into one place — with maps — it was my faithful companion throughout my four-month trek. Longest-running guide. Happy 100th anniversary! #adventuretraveler #millionmilewalker #southamericatravel
November 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Known as the "Bible" by backpackers like me in the early 1970s, it crammed everything you needed to know into one place — with maps — it was my faithful companion throughout my four-month trek. Longest-running guide. Happy 100th anniversary! #adventuretraveler #millionmilewalker #southamericatravel
The latest Million Mile Walker Dispatch! A new book and why Arizona is missing our voice in Congress. Plus, what we're reading and why. My Saddest Pleasures received the Best Travel Book Award from the Peace Corps Writers Group.https://millionmilewalker.com/.../an-expanded-edition-of.../
November 7, 2025 at 10:52 PM
The latest Million Mile Walker Dispatch! A new book and why Arizona is missing our voice in Congress. Plus, what we're reading and why. My Saddest Pleasures received the Best Travel Book Award from the Peace Corps Writers Group.https://millionmilewalker.com/.../an-expanded-edition-of.../
Learn and appreciate the history and culinary side of cardamom in Guatemala. We always enjoy it at Kaffe Kardamomuss, the restaurant in Coban that uses the spice in all its cuisine and pastries. Simone Cormier leads the tour on YouTube. www.bing.com/videos/searc....
October 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Learn and appreciate the history and culinary side of cardamom in Guatemala. We always enjoy it at Kaffe Kardamomuss, the restaurant in Coban that uses the spice in all its cuisine and pastries. Simone Cormier leads the tour on YouTube. www.bing.com/videos/searc....
My daughter led a group, including our grandkids, to the #NoKings rally at the Arizona State Capitol Saturday. She appreciated seeing frogs were also demanding NO KINGS! She did express one regret, "Such terrorists and agitators! I missed the table to pick up my paycheck for protesting, though." 🤣
October 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
My daughter led a group, including our grandkids, to the #NoKings rally at the Arizona State Capitol Saturday. She appreciated seeing frogs were also demanding NO KINGS! She did express one regret, "Such terrorists and agitators! I missed the table to pick up my paycheck for protesting, though." 🤣
I found a book and a podcast which explain some of the underlying causes/motivations for yesterday's No Kings Day protest, which at 7 million people--a diverse group--took their day off to protest authoritarianism, immigration & deployment of federal troops.
markdwalker2.substack.com/p/preparing-...
markdwalker2.substack.com/p/preparing-...
Preparing for the No Kings Day Protest & Beyond
A Special Edition of the Million Mile Walker Dispatch
markdwalker2.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 5:58 PM
I found a book and a podcast which explain some of the underlying causes/motivations for yesterday's No Kings Day protest, which at 7 million people--a diverse group--took their day off to protest authoritarianism, immigration & deployment of federal troops.
markdwalker2.substack.com/p/preparing-...
markdwalker2.substack.com/p/preparing-...
I joined fellow board member Daniel Dickenson at the Arizona Authors Association booth, which is part of the Desert Nights Rising Stars Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing Conference at ASU. Spiffy pens and information folders were among the tchotchkes for potential new members.
October 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I joined fellow board member Daniel Dickenson at the Arizona Authors Association booth, which is part of the Desert Nights Rising Stars Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing Conference at ASU. Spiffy pens and information folders were among the tchotchkes for potential new members.
Poet Laureate/Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing Alberto Rios and keynote speaker Sandra Cisneros reflect on the role of the writer/artists during the time of book banning and threats to our freedom of expression--Sandra ended the day with an inspiring, new poem.
October 11, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Poet Laureate/Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing Alberto Rios and keynote speaker Sandra Cisneros reflect on the role of the writer/artists during the time of book banning and threats to our freedom of expression--Sandra ended the day with an inspiring, new poem.
I dropped by Antigua Books on our latest visit to Guatemala to see my book and meet the owner, Troy. They have an outstanding selection of books in English and Spanish.
October 9, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I dropped by Antigua Books on our latest visit to Guatemala to see my book and meet the owner, Troy. They have an outstanding selection of books in English and Spanish.