COME AS YOU ARE: The Peace Corps Story

by Coates Redmon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 29, 1986

Another celebratory volume commemorating the Peace Corps' 25th anniversary. Redmon, a former speechwriter for Rosalynn Carter and Senator Charles Percy, was an early Peace Corps worker and gleaned a wealth of anecdotes. There is emphasis here on humor--albeit of the gosh-didn't-we-have-a-great-time variety. The title derives from an incident early on, when Sargent Shriver was first staffing up. Calling a young fellow who was on a ski vacation in Colorado, Shriver asked him, ""How soon can you get here?"" The skier, flummoxed, replied, ""Well, I'm on vacation and I have nothing but ski clothes and a bad sunburn."" ""That's fine,"" answered Shriver. ""Come as you are. Seeya tomorrow."" The next day. . .well, you get the idea. In that one anecdote, Redmon more or less captures the workaholic, adventurous, fun-filled spirit that seemed to permeate the agency. Redmon also tells of the mock seriousness that surrounded one of the Corps' early crises--the problem of marriage overseas and its incumbent pregnancies. This problem resulted in a couple of memos that became known within the agency as the MOM and POP memos--""Memo on Marriage"" and ""Policy on Pregnancy,"" We read of Bill Moyers embarrassingly berating the director of recruiting after a trip during which the recruiters caroused at a local strip joint. And Redmon fills us in on the ""real Peace Corps schools,"" the ones where the well of recruits never ran dry--Berkeley, Wisconsin. Michigan, Carlton, and Swarthmore. A good humorous balance to the recent Making a Difference (p. 1114).

Pub Date: Oct. 29, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1986

Categories: NONFICTION