South of the Frontera: A Peace Corps Memoir - Softcover

Lihosit, Lawrence F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 145021858X ISBN 13: 9781450218580

Publisher: iUniverse, 2010

Synopsis

2011 Recipient of Commendation from U.S. Congressman John Garmendi (Dem, CA)

"A welcome addition to my collection." Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President and author of A Remarkable Mother.

 "A compelling story." Writer's Digest.

"Humorous, well-told,highly entertaining...You are in for an adventure." Michael Schmicker, author of Landof Smiles.

"A dose of good medicine." Starley Talbott, author of Lasso the World; a Western Writer's Tales ofFolks Around the Globe.

"A classic." Craig Carrozzi, author of TheRoad to El Dorado.

"Unique, interesting and a good dose of humor." Donna Strobridge Ianni, WordPress


Amazon.com "Peace Corps Memoir" number one best seller for months. Following a job loss, a worn picture postcard ignites adventures South of the Frontera leading to thePeace Corps. This is a vivid description of Mexico and Central America between 1975 and 1977. From basking in the Sea of Cortes alongside a pelican  to learning to dance in Honduras, an original voice rings true with youthful curiosity and down-home wit and insight.

About this title

From the Author:

EXCERPT FROM INTERVIEW WITH JOHN COYNE OF PEACE CORPS WRITERS

Why did you join the Peace Corps?

My first travel book, South of the Frontera, describes the crazy travels that led me to the Peace Corps. It started with losing a job. When our boss opened the birdcage at our local city planning department, my buddies and I formed our own company. It didn't pay that well nor did it take that much time, so we began to have adventures, most naturally. We went so far that the twang became a rolling rrrrrrr. Racing south, we rejoiced because we instinctively knew that premature middle age escaped us. Never having studied a foreign language, I was lost. My father had been a salesman and I had been taught to speak up, look 'em in the eye, and shake their hands. Soon, I had a paperback Spanish/English dictionary, a used tape recorder, and some used tapes. Within weeks, I was travelin' south of the frontera solo and learning Spanish. One of my buddies suggested the Peace Corps. I applied and within months, flew to Miami, Florida and on to Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 1975. I already spoke about 100 words in Spanish when I arrived and could get around just fine.

What do you hope to leave behind with your writing?

I leave the example itself -- I wrote. William Burroughs once said that there are two kinds of writers; those who write and those who talk about writing. The writers, he said, are like bullfighters while the talkers are more bullshitters. Bullfighting is more my line.

About the Author:

The Author was born in the southern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois in 1951. His family later moved to Arizona where he graduated from grade school, high school and Arizona State University. He reluctantly served in the U.S. Army Reserves during the closing years of the Vietnam War and enthusiastically volunteered for the Peace Corps. His travels and work have taken him from the salmon spawning Nushagak River Basin in southwestern Alaska to the fertile Argentine Pampas. His continuing studies have included master's coursework in urban planning at la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City, art and creative writing at Skyline College in San Bruno, California and education at California State University Fresno. He has earned his living as an urban planner for many years, working in Honduras, Mexico, Alaska, Arizona and California.

About this edition

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 145021858X
• ISBN 13: 9781450218580
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 316