I am an experienced public speaker, and available to give lectures on several topics. My most frequent subjects are the Presidents and Presidency of the United States, and writing/publishing.
As of December 2020, I’ve appeared on panels at more than 175 science fiction conventions, averaging 3-15 panels per convention. Panel topics I frequently speak about including speculative fiction writing, editing and publishing, literature, science, business, and more. I’ve also given nearly 50 solo presentations to a variety of groups (including Mensa conventions, space conferences, astronomy clubs, and more); titles and details are below. I was a guest lecturer at the University of Connecticut, talking about book design and about science fiction writing.
Below is a list of my most recent solo appearances, along with any currently scheduled talks:
January 16, 2021: “Inaugurations and Installations: Presidents’ First Days on the Job” as Kentuckiana Mensa’s monthly speaker (electronically via Zoom)
November 28, 2020: “John Kennedy’s grandma, Bill Clinton’s mother, and John Tyler’s grandchildren: Familial oddities of the Presidents of the United States” for North Texas Mensa’s regional gathering (electronically via Zoom)
September 6, 2020: “John Kennedy’s grandma, Bill Clinton’s mother, and John Tyler’s grandchildren: Familial oddities of the Presidents of the United States” for Central Texas Mensa’s LonestaRG regional gathering (electronically via Zoom)
June 3, 2020: “John Kennedy’s grandma, Bill Clinton’s mother, and John Tyler’s grandchildren: Familial oddities of the Presidents of the United States” for the Learning in Retirement Association of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell (electronically via Zoom)
March 7, 2020: “A Century of Asimov” at Central New Jersey Mensa’s Snowball regional gathering in Iselin, NJ
February 15, 2020: “A Centennial of Asimov” at New Hampshire Mensa’s “RG at the End of the Universe” regional gathering in Portsmouth, NH
January 23, 2020: “A Centennial of Asimov” as Greater New York Mensa’s monthly speaker, in New York, NY
December 12, 2019: Guest appearance on WBAI’s “Hour of the Wolf” speculative fiction radio program, with Randee Dawn, talking about Across the Universe, in New York, NY
November 2, 2019: “Publishing and Getting Paid in the Era of DIY and Kickstarter” at Chicago Area Mensa’s HalloweeM Regional Gathering in Chicago, IL
November 1, 2019: “A Centennial of Asimov” at Chicago Area Mensa’s HalloweeM Regional Gathering in Chicago, IL
October 26, 2019: “Publishing and Getting Paid in the Era of DIY and Kickstarter” at Boston Mensa’s Wicked Good Regional Gathering in Fitchburg, MA
August 17, 2019: “Publishing and Getting Paid in the Era of DIY and Kickstarter” at Metropolitan Washington Mensa’s Pandemic Regional Gathering in Herndon, VA
July 5, 2019: “A Celebration of Isaac Asimov’s Centennial” (joint appearance with Richard Lederer) at American Mensa’s Annual Gathering in Phoenix, AZ
October 27, 2018: “The Democratization of Publishing” at Boston Mensa’s Wicked Good Regional Gathering in Fitchburg, MA
September 1, 2018: “Turning your manuscript into a book: traditional, small press, or self publishing?” at Mensa of Northeast New York’s RechaRGe Regional Gathering in Albany, NY
July 7, 2018: “John Kennedy’s grandma, Bill Clinton’s mother, and John Tyler’s grandchildren: Familial oddities of the Presidents of the United States” at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in Indianapolis, IN
February 9, 2018: monthly speaker for the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society in Philadelphia, PA
January 20, 2018: “Turning your manuscript into a book: traditional, small press, or self publishing?” at the Pocono Writers’ Conference in Stroudsburg, PA
September 3, 2017: “CSA wins; Nixon defeats Kennedy; Leonov first man on Moon: rewriting the world with alternate history” at Mensa of Northeast New York’s RechaRGe Regional Gathering in Albany, NY
August 19, 2017: “CSA wins; Nixon defeats Kennedy; Leonov first man on Moon: rewriting the world with alternate history” at Metropolitan Washington Mensa’s Pandemic Regional Gathering in Herndon, VA
July 8, 2017: “How I Came to Write ‘Shall Not Perish from the Earth'” at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in Hollywood, FL
July 6, 2017: “Any President But Donald Trump” at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in Hollywood, FL
March 4, 2017: “Any President But Donald Trump” at Central New Jersey Mensa’s Snowball Regional Gathering in Iselin, NJ
October 29, 2016: “Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton: Calling Them Exceptional is Understatement” at Boston Mensa’s Wicked Good Regional Gathering in Fitchburg, MA
September 4, 2016: “Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton: Calling Them Exceptional is Understatement” at Mensa of Northeast New York’s RechaRGe Regional Gathering in Albany, NY
July 3, 2016: “Hail to the Chiefs! (and Their Vice Presidents, and First Ladies…)” at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in San Diego, CA
March 7, 2015: “Science Fiction’s Scary Predictive Powers, or, Where’s My Flying Car?” at Central New Jersey Mensa’s “Snowball” regional gathering in Iselin, NJ
July 3, 2014: I facilitated a panel discussion on science fiction at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in Boston, MA (panelists: Walter H. Hunt, Shariann Lewitt, and Allen Steele)
April 5, 2014: Monthly speaker for the Garden State Speculative Fiction writers
March 29, 2014: “So You Want to Get Rich as a Writer?” at The Twisted World convention in King of Prussia, PA
March 1, 2014: “So You Want to Get Rich as a Writer?” at Central New Jersey Mensa’s “Snowball” regional gathering in Iselin, NJ
July 4, 2009: “A Random Verbal Walk Through the Presidency” at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in Pittsburgh, PA
July 3, 2009: “Stupid Author Tricks” at the American Mensa Annual Gathering in Pittsburgh, PA
March 7, 2009: “A Random Verbal Walk Through the Presidency” as the keynote speaker at Central New Jersey Mensa’s “Snowball” regional gathering in Iselin, NJ
February 14, 2009: “A Random Verbal Walk Through the Presidency” at New Hampshire Mensa’s “Love Potion ’09” regional gathering in Nashua, NH
February 14, 2009: “Stupid Author Tricks” at New Hampshire Mensa’s “Love Potion ‘09” regional gathering in Nashua, NH
December 10, 2008: Book discussion and Presidential talk at the Ohio State University Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Columbus, OH.
December 9, 2008: Book discussion and Presidential talk at Books & Company on the Greene, Dayton (Beavercreek), OH.
December 6, 2008: “Stupid Author Tricks” at Cincinnati Mensa’s “Winter Wonderland” Regional Gathering in Cincinnati, OH.
December 6, 2008: “A Random Verbal Walk Through the Presidency” at Cincinnati Mensa’s “Winter Wonderland” Regional Gathering in Cincinnati, OH.
September 14, 2008: “A Random Verbal Walk Through the Presidency” at the Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn, NY
Titles of older talks I’ve given include:
- “Is Science Fiction an Oxymoron? or; Science Fiction, Science and Fiction: Can you have one with the other?”
- “The Artemis Project”
- “Stupid Author Tricks”
- “How to Write/Publish Science Fiction”
- “The Science in Star Trek”
Other organizations I’ve spoken for:
- The International Space Development Conference
- The Mid Hudson Astronomy Association
- The New York Wings Club
- The Greater New York 99s
- The Prydonians of Princeton
- American Mensa’s Annual Gathering, and Regional Gatherings for several local Mensa groups, including: Boston; Central New Jersey; Connecticut & Western Massachusetts; Delaware Valley; Greater New York; Mid Hudson; and New Hampshire.
