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11 thoughts on yesterday’s TEDxBU event, including observations from the restrooms and my advice for future TED speakers.

A few observations from yesterday’s TEDxBU talk at Boston University. 1. I will never understand what possesses organizers like Ben Lawson and Salma Yehia to give up hundreds of hours of their time to pull off an event like this. I have spoken at four TEDx events in the past three years, and in each…

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Hot Buzz About Books and Book Clubs

For those of you in the greater Hartford area (and beyond), I will be joining a panel of esteemed book lovers and professionals in the publishing industry to discuss book recommendations on Thursday evening at 7:00 at the West Hartford Jewish Community Center. This is an annual event that runs in conjunction with the JCC’s…

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I suffered a wardrobe malfunction. I told the audience that they suck. Just another day in the life of an author.

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Cragin Memorial Library last night as part of the Connecticut Author’s Trail. A group of about 48 women and two men gathered to hear me speak, which I continue to find both humbling and astounding. Rather than read from my novel, I tell stories about the writing…

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I had a story on This American Life. The reaction to this news has been interesting.

I had a story on This American Life this week.   It was a short story. Just a few minutes long as part of the prologue. Still, it was a thrill. A dream come true. I’ve since discovered that there are only two kinds of reactions to telling someone that I’ll  be appearing on This…

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Upcoming appearances

On Saturday, May 31, I’ll be speaking at the Barnes & Noble at the Buckland Hills Mall in Manchester, CT at 2:00 PM. My agent will be with me, so if you have any questions for her, I’m sure that we could pester her with a few. ________________________________ That same evening, Speak Up will be…

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24 thoughts from my weekend at Booktopia

Elysha and I spent the weekend in Vermont at Booktopia, a weekend retreat for listeners of Books on the Nightstand that brings readers and authors together in a unique experience. It’s our favorite weekend of the year. Here are some thoughts from the weekend. 1. It is impossible to predict where the idea for an…

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Upcoming speaking gigs

In the event you would like to hear me blather on and on, the following are some of my upcoming speaking events: April 16: Moth StorySLAM at Housing Works in NYC (no guarantee that I will take the stage). Doors open at 7:00. Stories begin at 7:30. April 17: World Book Night in Attleboro, MA…

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Upcoming speaking events

In case you’re interested in hearing me blather, here are a few of my upcoming storytelling and speaking engagements: February 18: Literary Death Match at Laugh Boston (7:30 PM) I’ll be competing against three other authors for the title of Literary Death Match Champion. Ticketing info here. February 20: The Moth StorySLAM at Housing Works…

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Lionel Shriver needed to take better inventory before she lamented the tragedy of her career in The New Republic.

Bestselling author Lionel Shriver has been criticized this week for a piece she wrote in The New Republic in which she complains about the amount of publicity and the demands on her time that an author of her stature endures in today’s literary environment. She writes (I suggest you skim): Thus, at a time I…

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