Walker is the author of several award-winning books and articles, one of which was recognized in the Solas Literary Awards for Best Travel Writing.
Author Mark D. Walker has announced the release of an epic new travel book, “My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road.”
My Saddest Pleasures borrows its title from one of iconic writer, Moritz Thomsen’s works. It shines a sometimes-lovely, sometimes-piercing light on the countries he visits. In this captivating book, Walker reflects on his fifty years of travel miscalculations and disasters and how and why his travels changed over the years, as has who he traveled with.
As a young Peace Corps Volunteer with no overseas travel experience, the world was his oyster, and he figured he could go anywhere if he set his mind to it—with little or no money. Then he married a Guatemalan lady and had to think more about “our” needs; then, three children meant additional requirements and responsibilities. And later, as a professional fundraiser, he would set up donor visits to program areas where the organizations he represented needed funds, which meant considering the needs of up to fifteen individuals of all ages, including children and some donors in their 70s and 80s. He became a savvier trekker, although he was still prone to the occasional snafu. The book is part of the “Yin & Yang of Travel” series.
“After more than fifty years traveling to some of the most isolated, dangerous parts of the world, I decided to write what I think readers will find as an invaluable portal into the world of timeless travel and what can go wrong. After all, these ‘saddest pleasures gave me eyes.’”
His first book, a memoir titled, Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, was recognized by the Arizona Literary Association for Non-Fiction. More than 25 of his articles were published in literary journals ranging from Ragazine, Literary Yard, Quail Bell, ELAND and WorldView. He is a contributing writer for the Revue Magazine, a Guatemalan English language publication, Literary Traveler and Literary Yard. He has a column in the Arizona Authors Association newsletter, “The Million Mile Walker, What We Read and Why.” His reviews can also be found on the Midwest Review Bookshelf and GoodReads. Two of his essays were winners for the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Awards. This year, another article from his “Yin & Yang of Travel” series, was recognized with the Bronze in the Solas Literary Awards for Best Travel Writing, which is sponsored by Traveler’s Tales.
Walker has received rave reviews from readers and reviewers such as Midwest Review. "My Saddest Pleasures” differs from most both in its size and in its succinct considerations of how travel changes not just self, but the environments that the traveler encounters. The combined flavor of wonder, new experiences, ecological and social reflection, and adventure brings with it a newfound opportunity to understand the traveler's impact on a deeper level than most. Domestic and foreign experiences alike are outlined with these lessons in mind.
Susan Pohlman of the Writers Network in Phoenix said, “…Mark Walker celebrates fifty years of wandering the globe, from isolated areas of the highlands of Guatemala to the highest reaches of the Andes to his present home in the desert Southwest. In his engaging and informal style, Walker shares his trials and tribulations. Whether you’re an armchair traveler or a seasoned one, Walker’s life and travels will be an inspiration!”
The editor of the Arizona Authors Association. Katy Cook said, “In this glorious little travel chapbook, Mark relays his epic journey through life in a vivid, emotional, humorous and insightful account. His remarkable passage through dangers and delights gives witness to the fact that, whether traversing precarious depths or astounding peaks, he has always truly lived, unlike many armchair adventurers. Mark evidences the fact that you don't need money or connections to travel the world. All you need is courage, fortitude, and a yearning to experience all the different flavors of life. Mark was obviously blessed with those gifts in abundance, as well as one more: an incredible wife. His description of Ligia evokes a deep respect in me. She's the kind of woman I'd love to know as a friend. In fact, I'd love to meet both of them and revel in their myriad and fascinating stories, and perhaps share a round of that intriguing "tiger milk." Until then, I'll keep reading all of Mark's wonderful tales.”
Mark D. Walker is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at mark@millionmilewalker.com. His books are available at his website, online book outlets and at the Cyberwit website at https://www.cyberwit.net/publications/1919. More information is available at his website at https://millionmilewalker.com.
About Mark D. Walker:
Mark Walker was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala and spent over forty years helping disadvantaged people in the developing world. He managed programs abroad with CARE and Plan International and for over thirty years raised funds for such organizations as Food for the Hungry, MAP International, Global Brigades, Make-A-Wish International and was the CEO of Hagar USA, which supports survivors of human trafficking. A long-time Rotarian, Walker was the Club President of Scottsdale North Rotary, the District World Community Service Chair and active in the Youth Exchange program where all three of his children went abroad. He’s a recipient of the “Service Above Self” award from Rotary International and a Board member of “Advance Guatemala.” His wife and three children were born in Guatemala.
Contact:
Mark D. Walker
mark@millionmilewalker.com
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