I’m available for speaking engagements, visits to schools and libraries, or delivering writing workshops to adults and youth. I have two ready-made presentations:
- Fairy Dust and the True Tales of Grimm
Audience: grades 6-12
Time: 60 minutes
Topics: folktales, the Brothers Grimm, writing, representations of violence
Description: If you think it was a kiss that turned the Frog Prince back into a human being, think again. I’m sure we’re all familiar the watered-down, storybook version of the hapless “Frog Prince,” but the true tale collected by the Grimm Brothers is something else altogether. In fact, nearly every familiar folktale—from Cinderella to Snow White—is quite a bit nastier than anything Walt Disney ever produced.
In this presentation, I introduce students to the world of medieval folklore and lead them through the (very) dark forest of Grimm. I go on to show how a fuller understanding of the Grimm tales inspired me to write Dust City, a story of what the modern world might look like had medieval Europe actually been full of talking wolves and hedgehogs.
- Zorgamazoo: Rhythm & Rhyme
Audience: grades 2-8
Time: 60 minutes
Topics: poetry, language, rhyme, illustration
Description: You’d have to be mad to write a rhyming novel… so perhaps I am. In this presentation, I recount my early love of rhyme; introduce the technical aspects of the poetry used in Zorgamazoo; discuss the fulfillment and frustration of telling a story in verse; and reveal my inspirations. Using a PC slide show, I also take students through the creative and collaborative process of producing an illustrated novel. Finally, I conclude with an exciting reading from the book, complete with silly voices and heaps of villainous drama!
Of course, I’m happy to cater my presentations to specific audiences and themes. My goal is always to keep things light and humorous, but never at the expense of thoughtful content.