Michael Maren (born November 15, 1955) is an American journalist,
screenwriter, and director. He spent seventeen years as a foreign
correspondent based in Africa, writing for The Village Voice,
Newsweek, The New Republic, Harper's, GQ, The New York Times Magazine,
among others. His book, about his experiences in Somalia, The Road to
Hell, was called "the seminal critique of foreign aid" by The New
Yorker. In 2012 he wrote and directed his first feature film, A Short
History of Decay. His newest feature film, Shriver, is currently in
production.Maren grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and graduated from
Northfield Mt. Hermon in 1973. As an undergraduate he attended
Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. In 1984, Maren earned his master's
degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public
Affairs.Maren joined the Peace Corps in 1977 and served for two years
teaching English and Physics at a secondary school in rural Kenya. He
remained in Kenya, running the food-for-work program with the Catholic
Relief Services; later he worked for the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) in Somalia, serving as a food
assessment specialist on the Somali border with Ethiopia.During his
time at Columbia, Maren worked for Africa Report Magazine as a
contributing editor. Later, he went on to publish articles in The
Nation, The New York Times, Harper's, The Village Voice, and other
publications. Much of this work centered on war and famine and the
culpability of aid organizations; he wrote in Harper's magazine:
screenwriter, and director. He spent seventeen years as a foreign
correspondent based in Africa, writing for The Village Voice,
Newsweek, The New Republic, Harper's, GQ, The New York Times Magazine,
among others. His book, about his experiences in Somalia, The Road to
Hell, was called "the seminal critique of foreign aid" by The New
Yorker. In 2012 he wrote and directed his first feature film, A Short
History of Decay. His newest feature film, Shriver, is currently in
production.Maren grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and graduated from
Northfield Mt. Hermon in 1973. As an undergraduate he attended
Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. In 1984, Maren earned his master's
degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public
Affairs.Maren joined the Peace Corps in 1977 and served for two years
teaching English and Physics at a secondary school in rural Kenya. He
remained in Kenya, running the food-for-work program with the Catholic
Relief Services; later he worked for the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) in Somalia, serving as a food
assessment specialist on the Somali border with Ethiopia.During his
time at Columbia, Maren worked for Africa Report Magazine as a
contributing editor. Later, he went on to publish articles in The
Nation, The New York Times, Harper's, The Village Voice, and other
publications. Much of this work centered on war and famine and the
culpability of aid organizations; he wrote in Harper's magazine:
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.