A keynote is an interesting beast. It should make listeners laugh—and maybe cry. It should move them, show them their best selves and give each one something practical to bring home to their classroom or library, something that makes a difference in how they do their job. I try to do all that when I address a group—and I do it with the oldest and best tool in the human toolkit: stories.

Talks I am currently giving include:

Think Like an Author: Discover the Creative Writer in All Your Students
I share my own road to becoming a writer (replete with stories). Then I explain my sure-fire approach to teaching creative writing using unusual prompts and introduce exercises guaranteed to generate real excitement about writing. This talk is especially good in the hands-on department. Anyone charged with inspiring young writers will come away with practical exercises to take back to the classroom—and the inspiration to make it happen.

In Love With Words
This is a humorous and insightful look at how we relate to language, how we acquire a sensitivity to good writing and how, as teachers and writers we can engender a love of language in readers who are just beginning a long relationship of their own with words and literature.

Keep the Lights Burning
This is a great closer for a conference. It is inspirational and encouraging. It talks about the role of teachers in the world. As an author who visits dozens of schools a year all over the country I have had ample opportunity to observe the struggles and the triumphs of teachers. This talk should help teachers to focus on what they have gained from the conference and to bring it back to the day-to-day job of teaching.

Conferences and Organizations I have addressed include:

Bay County Reading Festival
Bill Martin’s Pathways to Literacy (keynote)
Duval County Reading Association (keynote)
Florida Association of Media Educators (featured speaker)
Florida Center for the Book Florida Council of Teachers of English (keynote)
Florida Reading Association International Reading Association (keynote)
Keystone State Reading Association Leon County Reading Council (keynote)
Missouri Association of School Librarians National Council of Teachers of English (ALAN Workshops)
Ohio Counsel of Teachers of English Language (keynote)
Okaloosa County Reading Festival (Keynote)
Phi Delta Kappa Society of Orange Park, Florida (keynote)
South Dakota Reading Association
Southeastern Booksellers Association
Southeast Regional International Reading Association
Tallahassee Writers Association (keynote)
Reading festivals:
Amelia Book Island Festival
Kern County Reading Festival
Bakersfield California Lee County Reading Festival
Miami Book Fair
St. Petersburg Reading Festival
Authors in April, Rochester Michigan