Speaking

In addition to having appeared on TV and radio, Ann has delivered presentations at the university level, book festivals, bookstores, etc. She is currently available for all types of speaking appearances (keynotes, seminars, workshops, and panels). Ann is an engaging speaker who shares her experiences and insights with a sense of humor and joy.

Ann was a founding member of the contemplative pedagogy initiative at Montclair State University where she taught freshman writing for eight years. She devised unique teaching methods using meditation and a focus on personal experience or belief, and also uses these techniques in her workshops. She has also practiced yoga, qi gong, and meditation for over twenty years.

Topics Ann is most interested in speaking about writing and topics related to her next book:

  • Meditation And Creativity
  • Turning a Memoir into a Story
  • Language As a Writing Tool
  • What Happened to Feminism?
  • What Does “Normal” Mean?
  • later-in-life dating and marriage
  • what it’s like to be the life partner of someone struggling with gender
  • what happens when you dial 911 following a suicide
  • resources available following a suicide
  • the unique trajectory of grief after suicide
  • it’s hard to change from a man to a woman
  • speaking for the dead

 

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Workshops Ann Offers

BOOK CLUB: As part of a club’s reading of her books, Ann offers a two-hour workshop featuring a short reading from her book, light analysis of what makes a memoir work, and the writing and sharing of short memoir pieces written by members of the club. Super fun!

MOVEMENT & MEDITATION: This workshop is suitable for reading clubs, libraries, bookstores, and classrooms. It adds a kinetic element to the usually sedentary activity of writing. 5-15 participants:

  • Sitting and walking meditations clear the mind, sharpen powers of observation, and encourage reflection on an assigned task or issue
  • Meditation exercises access memory, soften peaks and valleys of memory, and develop sensory impressions
  • Movement exercises increase writing comfort
  • Writing exercises sharpen technique

Past appearances include

  • Tucson Festival of Books (Tucson, AZ)
  • Little City Books with Min Jin Lee (Hoboken, NJ)
  • The KGB Bar (New York, NY)
  • The Hudson School (Hoboken, NJ)
  • Live Lit (Montclair State University (Montclair, NJ)
  • Symposia Bookstore (Hoboken, NJ)
  • Putney Public Library (Putney, VT)
  • Greenville Branch of Jersey City Library (Jersey City, NJ)
  • Bloomfield Public Library, Bloomfield, NJ
  • Hoboken Public Library (Hoboken, NJ)
  • Montclair Public Library (Montclair, NJ)
  • Write Action (Brattleboro, VT)

 

Click here to send Ann details about your appearance
request and inquire about availability.