Picture
SPEAKING
I have given presentations about various elements of my writing career to all sorts of audiences – including book groups, writers, travelers, students, educators, and executives. For more information (and fee info), contact me.

SCHOOL VISITS (for students and educators)

I visit many public and private schools around the country, from K through 12th grade. I discuss how I became a writer, the joys of the writing life, how I generate ideas, and the limitless properties of imagination. Click here for more information about my school visit program. 
CATCHING CREATIVE IDEAS (conference keynote)

In April 2014, I gave a popular TEDx talk – “Catching Creative Ideas” in which I discussed the notion that good writing starts with a great idea. For writers’ groups, teachers, and 6th through 12th grade students, I have extended the concept into a one-hour presentation. While telling stories about everything from competing in the Masters of Miniature Golf to appearing on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” I highlight seven methods illustrating how I conceive, develop, and convey my subject matter: Wonder out loud, counter conventional wisdom, find the real story, find the right angle, apply your imagination, participate, timing is everything. 
HEMINGWAY WAS A SPORTSWRITER (for educators and parents)

This is a personal, historical and literary discussion about how kids’ passion for athletics can translate into enthusiasm for reading and writing. I examine the world of sports as it relates to reading and writing, society, the classroom, and my own evolution as a writer. 
THE AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE (for book and writers’ groups)

I have visited with book groups over the years – both via conference call and in person as a special guest. It is a joy for me to discuss my books with people who have just finished reading them, to receive their critiques and questions and to explain my point of view. 
CONNECTING THE DOTS (for travel groups)

My theory is that America is not a patchwork quilt or a melting pot. It is a masterpiece of pointillism, a dot painting. From far away, the tiniest dots on the map blend together to form a general image. But from up close, each tells its own fascinating story. In this presentation about my journeys along the roads less traveled (which I have given at venues ranging from the National Steinbeck Center to the Winnebago-Itasca Grand National Rally), I recount some profound and humorous stories from my travels and discuss how epiphanies can arise from seemingly simple encounters.
FREEDOM SUMMER (for civil rights groups, synagogues)

An inspiring one-hour talk based on the powerful memoir I co-authored with the late civil rights icon Carolyn Goodman. The book, My Mantelpiece (which includes a foreword by Maya Angelou), is the story of Carolyn and her son, Andy, who was infamously murdered during Freedom Summer 1964 -- a tragedy that riveted a nation and transformed the civil rights movement. Carolyn turned her son’s martyrdom into a mission. I have given this presentation to regional Anti-Defamation League chapters and various Jewish Federations and synagogues.