I first discovered John Coyne in 2002 as I stumbled home from Peace Corps Guatemala. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I had no idea where to begin--until his magazine showed me the way. John Coyne is a former Peace Corps volunteer, novelist, and editor of the booming web magazine, Peace Corps Writers.
More recently, Coyne helped create the Peace Corps writing blog. This site lets old Peace Corps volunteers share experiences, but more importantly, helps readers around the globe find new voices.
Coyne just wrapped up his new novel, The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan. For the rest of the week, we will explore Coyne's golf-themed novel and his writing community on the web in my deceptively simple feature: Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a weekly set of quality interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical, unexpected advice about web publishing.
Jason Boog:
Why did you start this publication? What makes Peace Corps Writers different? How has the Internet helped this publication grow?
John Coyne:
With Marian Haley Beil (another Peace Corps Volunteer with me in Ethiopia), we started a newsletter for and about Peace Corps writers in 1989.
It was a volunteer effort on our part, fulfilling what is called the "third goal" of the Peace Corps Act: "bringing the world back home."
It had a limited audience of approximately 300 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). When the Internet came along in the mid-90s, being embraced by the general public, it was clear that we could go "on-line" and reach a wider audience.
Also, Marian was eager to try and develop a website, to enhance her design skills. In terms of the publication, it has helped tremendously--we are reaching an immense audience.
We don't chart the number of people who click onto our site, but from the number of emails I receive from readers around the world, I think we have a wider audience that we ever anticipated when we first started the newsletter.
Many of these people have nothing to do with the agency or being a PCV, but they just type in the name of a writer they like and up we come.
Hi Jason,
Nice job with the John Coyne interview. John has been a gracious and generous help to me since I first sent him some work in 96. He's a good man.
John Flynn
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