Mark Patinkin, longtime Providence Journal columnist and author, has journeyed abroad to write about African famine, the collapse of European communism and war in the Middle East. He has written a half dozen books, including his latest release, “The Holy Land at War: A Journey Through Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.” Mark was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for international reporting and has honorary degrees from Rhode Island College and Johnson and Wales University. Mark grew up in Chicago, graduated from Middlebury College and currently lives in Providence.