Letters from Ghana 1968-1970 is a book compiled and edited by Jon Thiem, published as an imprint of Peace Corps Worldwide in 2013.
From a recent review: "The act of saving the letters alone is something to celebrate. But making them available to readers, along with the the introductory essay and collected photographs, makes this volume something to treasure. The book is well written and illustrated." (William G. Spain, March 28, 2014). The complete review can be read by clicking here. About the book From 1968 to 1970, Jon Thiem was a Peace Corps English teacher in a rain forest village of southern Ghana—Acherensua. Every two weeks he sent letters and audio tapes to the States describing the miseries and splendors of working in the tropics. These letters offer raw, immediate impressions of the hard living and cross-cultural labyrinths faced by teachers in rural Ghana. The correspondence also tracks the efforts of Thiem and his colleague “Ohene” Owoahene to collect Akan poetry, an endangered oral tradition. The irony is that Thiem went to Ghana to foster modern thinking, but ended up becoming spellbound by the mythical world of Asante court poetry, which celebrates the bloody deeds and magical powers of ancient kings. The letters by writers other than Thiem make this collection truly multivocal. There are texts by other Peace Corps volunteers and by correspondents from the U.S. The eloquent voices of Ghanaian nationals—teachers, students, politicians, and villagers—are “heard” in the letters and audio tape transcripts. Among other distinctive features are an incisive introduction and individual commentaries that place the letters in their historical, geographical, and personal contexts. The book includes a map, glossary, timeline, and 29 photos. Map of Ghana and the Brong-Ahafo Region |
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