Moritz Thomsen (1915-1991) was one of the great American expatriate writers of the 20th century. Period.



Moritz Thomsen (1915-1991) was one of the great American expatriate writers of the 20th century. Period.

Under the Skin of a Locale

Tucson's Tom Miller explains what makes great travel writing

By TOM MILLER

[Excerpt]

Moritz Thomsen (1915-1991) was one of the great American expatriate writers of the 20th century. Period. A soft-hearted cuss, a man of almost insufferable integrity, a lousy farmer and a terrific writer, his books have long since been smothered by the avalanche from megapublishers (yet remarkably, three of his titles remain in print). Although all his works could be considered travel memoirs imbued with a sense of place, his third book, The Saddest Pleasure, embodies some of the very finest elements of the genre: constant doubt, a meddlesome nature and a disregard for nationalism. (The book's title comes from a line in Paul Theroux's novel, Picture Palace: "Travel is the saddest of the pleasures.") Thomsen, who stayed in Ecuador following his mid-1960s Peace Corps stint, pledged allegiance to nothing except his station as an expatriate. And as an expat, he was free to judge us all, an undertaking he finessed with acute observations, self-deprecation, and a flavorful frame of reference that ranged from a Tchaikovsky symphony to a Sealy Posturpedic mattress.

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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June 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories US should take a stand for freedom in Uzbekistan Maureen Orth says: Michael Jackson not sleeping well 12 Jun Marguerite Chandler promotes NJ's historical heritage 10 Jun Dick Haws writes: My life as a substitute teacher 10 Jun Mike Honda in Ethiopia urges peace 10 Jun James Walsh is Chairman of the Friends of Ireland caucus 10 Jun Ohio Governor Bob Taft struggles with scandal 10 Jun NY Times asks RPCVs about "Upside down stamps" 10 Jun Mark Schneider discusses OAS compromise 9 Jun Dodd concerned About Passport Rules 9 Jun Fred O'Regan says no need to hunt whales in 21st century 9 Jun Vic Godfrey enters hall of fame for track and field 8 Jun Al Kamen says Bush spokesmen like to hide information 8 Jun Bobby Shriver: The Power of One 8 Jun Tony Hall outlines US aid package for Africa 8 Jun Phil Hardberger new mayor of San Antonio 8 Jun Karzai visit prompted by friendship with Thomas Gouttierre 7 Jun Christopher R. Hill cautious on Korea talks 7 Jun Ugly Americans in Paul Theroux's latest novel 7 Jun

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June 12, 2005: Special Events Vote in the NPCA Election for new board before June 15 "American Taboo" author Phil Weiss in Maryland on June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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