ISBN 978-1-62137-031-4 (softcover). $14.95. 194 pages.
Walking in the Clouds - Colombia through the Eyes of a Gringo is a series of true events and corresponding stories as experienced and chronicled by an American writer who lived and worked in the country during the violent cocaine wars and leftist guerrilla uprisings in the 1980s. From the Torching of the Judicial Palace, 23,000 Souls Vanish, and Conversations with a Guerrilla to Carnival, A Shot in the Dark, and A Water Tower View of the Pope, this series of stories provide a timeless lens through which to view Latin America, They also provide a mirror that reflects back a realistic perspective of how others view us.
Colombia represents not only the promise, but the problems that haunt an entire continent. Unlike those to the north, the seeds for the idea of hereditary power and landed gentry were sown from the beginning. The continent’s oldest surviving democracy, Colombia combines the splendor of colonial Spain with the energy of Latin America. Yet, despite the fame of Colombian coffee and its notoriety for drugs, most people know little about the country. As colored through its stories, Walking in the Clouds provides a glimpse into Colombian history, economics, politics, psyche, culture, and contradictions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael F. Kastre is a Washington, DC-based writer who has written over 500 magazine and newspaper articles and columns published in numerous magazines, newspapers, and online covering a spectrum of topics, ranging from politics, health, lifestyles, and terrorism to technology, culture, food, business, careers, and military affairs. He covered Capitol Hill for seven years as a military affairs correspondent. He also traveled extensively in South America for several decades, working fulltime in Colombia as a photojournalist for over 3 years. He spent a number of years working as a consultant for various Department of Defense programs, including the Missile Defense Agency and the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). In addition, he served as an adjunct faculty member for several universities, teaching undergraduate courses in advanced research and writing, business, and communications, He resides in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia with his wife, Nydia, who is also a writer.
