Baghdad Letters: An American Couple in Iraq, 1966-67 - Tapa dura

Baghdad Letters  is a collection of correspondence, journals and photographs compiled by a young couple from Texas in Iraq from September1966 to May 1967. From the book: Baghdad preferred professors with a Texas accent since the Iraqis had problems understanding the oil field personnel working there, most of whom were from places like Odessa, Texas. On the flight from London, I told a British soldier, 'I'm going to Baghdad to teach English.' He threw his head back and laughed, 'My God, you don't even SPEAK it!' he said. This isn't just a different culture, or even civilization. It is a different Time, a different world. In the desert at midnight we came upon a road block. An Iraqi soldier with a machine gun shined a light in our faces and filthy troops crowded around the car to look at us. 'Where you go?' 'Baghdad,' I said. 'La,' (No) he said, looking at Carole, 'You stay tonight with me.' I tried not to show the jolt of fear that went through me. But the women are getting college degrees, even going into engineering, I've heard- My students may be the first, and someday things may change.

The Farringtons both grew up in rural environments in Texas. They were married in 1963. They went to Baghdad in the fall of 1966 and returned in the summer of 1967. In addition to Iraq, theyvisited and wrote about Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Both hold Master's degrees, Jay's in English and Carole's in Theater. Carole wrote a three-act play, 'Third and Long,' for her Master's thesis and Jay hase-published a collection of non fiction stories called Little Rivers. Both Farringtons have had full careers teaching writing and literature at the post-secondary level. They agree that their time in the Middle East was one of the highlights of their lives. They have been partners for over forty years. They live and work in San Angelo, Texas.