About Michael Varga
Author – Playwright – Diplomat
My Story
As a young man Michael Varga dreamed about joining the Peace Corps. He realized that dream at age 21, serving as a volunteer in Chad, Africa. Then war broke out, and Michael was evacuated, leaving a big part of his heart behind when he left. This love for Chad is reflected in his many works.
Later, Michael became a diplomat serving primarily in hotspots in the Middle East. He served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department in the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Morocco, and Canada. He worked in Washington, D.C. in the Economic bureau and as the desk officer for Lebanon when the last American hostages were released in the 1990s. He was also a Pearson Fellow at the World Trade Center Miami. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Notre Dame, a Bachelor’s degree in English from Rider University, and is a certified teacher.
In 2014, Michael’s short story, “Chad Erupts in Strife” won the Fiction Open, sponsored by Glimmer Train Magazine. It was published in Issue #95 which was released in November 2015.
He is currently working on a novel about the Foreign Service. He lives in Florida where he often—even to this day—has Chad on his mind.