Sweet Success for Derek Lowstuter

Published August 28, 2025

Congratulations to Derek Lowstuter! His book, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF OF AFRICA, was named the 2025 Nonfiction Book of the Year by the Colorado Authors League.

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Do you enjoy learning about faraway lands and cultures? Do you have recurring dreams of pooping your pants in front of a foreign president? Have you ever begged neighbors for water to survive? Derek Lowstuter captures these realities of living and working abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF OF AFRICA is a mix of academic study and personal observations—equal parts literature review, introspection, scholarly analysis, confabulation, with a pinch of classic ethnocentrism. Peace Corps service is exceptionally context-specific, every Volunteer and every host community is unique. The reactions that take place between the two can be unpredictable and chaotic. Purchase a copy from Spring Cedars Publishing or Amazon. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Derek Lowstuter graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. degree in Natural Resource Management and an M.S.degree in Forest Sciences. He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in the first group of environmental volunteers in Ethiopia. He is a Ph.D. student at the CSU College of Health & Human Services. Derek currently works as a Regional Specialist for CSU Extension. Derek calls Colorado Springs home with his wife, their daughter, and a menagerie of animals and houseplants – including a dog rescued from Ethiopia. Be sure to follow him on Facebook.