The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2016

86 JULY-AUGUST 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS A Foreign Service Thriller; The Wolf of Sarajevo AFSA BOOK NOTES On May 24, AFSA continued its popular Book Notes series with a talk fromMatthew Palmer, FSO and author of the new book TheWolf of Sarajevo (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016). AFSA President Ambas- sador Barbara Stephenson, who worked with Palmer on Balkans policy, introduced the author. Opening with a reading from his latest novel, Amb. Stephenson said that Palmer’s books help Foreign Service officers tell their story to those outside the diplo- matic world. Palmer describes his novels as a “love letter to the Foreign Service”—a profes- sion he feels is frequently misunderstood. He noted that the public’s knowledge of the military and intelligence services is shaped by books and movies; if Foreign Service officers appear in those mov- ies or books at all, they are generally faceless bureaucrats getting in the way of the hero. In his books, beginning with The American Mission and Secrets of State , Palmer turns that idea on its head, making the FSOs the heroes and providing the public with some insight into the varied roles taken on by U.S. diplo- mats at home and overseas. Of course, to be a success- ful author, you have to enter- tain people. Palmer admits that he takes certain liberties to make the content as acces- sible as possible. He points out that it can be hard for those outside the diplomatic world to grasp the sheer com- plexity of diplomatic work. Accessibility, Palmer says, affects many aspects of his novels, even down to selecting easily pronounceable names for the characters. TheWolf of Sarajevo tells the story of Eric Petrosian, a political officer at the embassy in Bosnia. Shaped by the genocide at Srebrenica, which he witnessed as a young journalist, he returns to Sarajevo at a time of political upheaval.With war looming, Petrosian must use his local knowledge and connections to find out what is really going on and how to stop another massacre. Following his presenta- tion, Palmer took part in a Q&A session. In response to questions from the audience (which included former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia Patrick Moon), Palmer spoke about his writing process and inspi- rations, Hollywood ambitions and how global events have shaped his books. Visit www.afsa.org/video to view a recording of the event. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson introduced Matthew Palmer, including reading from his latest book, The Wolf of Sarajevo. AFSA/GEMMADVORAK AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson introduced Matthew Palmer, including reading from his latest book, The Wolf of Sarajevo. OVERSEAS VOTING – PLAN AHEAD FOR NOVEMBER As the November election season approaches, overseas Foreign Service members may need to make arrange- ments for voting. With a presidential election, Senate and congressional races, as well as state-specific contests, there will be plenty of ballots to cast this year. The Federal Voting Assistance Program offers information and instructions for registering and voting while living overseas under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, which covers FS employees and their fami- lies. At www.FVAP.gov, you can check the requirements for your state of residence, register to vote and request a ballot. Each state has different regulations on registration and submitting a voted ballot! Information is also available at the AFSA website: www.afsa.org/vote and from the Overseas Vote Foundation— www.overseasvotefoundation.org—a nonpartisan organization. Don’t forget the Hatch Act! All active Foreign Service employees are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities while “on duty.” For information about the rules and regulations regarding political actions while representing the U.S. government, check out our Labor Management guidance page at www.afsa.org/hatchact. n NEWS BRIEF