Speaking Topics

Da Vinci himself was known to “snatch” bodies from graves and even hang around a hospital waiting for someone to die so he could study their body. Body snatching became essential in the mid- to late-1700s and throughout the 1800s, and is actually still around today. It just takes on a different, more subtle form.

A deadly six-day smog in a small mill town in Pennsylvania called Donora led directly to the nation’s first clean air act. This session provides historical context to the little-known tragedy to better understand the town’s and mills’ reactions.

This topic explores fundamental steps in creating a book, focusing mostly on traditional publishing but covering self-publishing as well. From forming an idea to writing a proposal and sample chapters to steps to expect in the publishing process.

Writing about tragic events and the people who experienced them requires that the writer understand the background of that particular moment in time and to slowly bring that backstory to the forefront. When the event “occurs,” the reader can then more fully comprehend what the event must have meant to people at the time.

An author’s own background informs their writing in sometimes surprising ways. This topic explores ways to make sure that one’s background and experiences don’t get lost in the story.