PROGRAMS
Plan an author visit with Maryann Cusimano Love for your library, book club, conference or event. Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love is an award winning international educator and author. A winner of Harvard University’s Pew Faculty Fellowship for teaching, and Catholic University’s Teacher of the Year Award. She is an effective presenter who favors participatory techniques. Maryann has a proven track record as a writer, communicator, and expert, giving addresses to institutions such as the United Nations, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Brookings Institution, Notre Dame University Law School, Georgetown University, University of Milan, University of Ireland at Galway and the Conferences of Latin American, Canadian, and U.S. Bishops. Additionally, Dr. Love has done numerous interviews for CNN, CNN International, NPR affiliates, and other media outlets. Children’s book author appearances include the National Institutes of Health Children’s Inn, Georgetown’s Holy Trinity School, Kutztown University Children’s Literature Conference, George Mason University’s Fall for Books Festival, and the Audubon School in Williamsville, NY. She teaches groups as diverse as grade school assemblies to military officers at the Pentagon. Maryann is outgoing and down-to-earth, and can make the program topics clear and concrete to the novice. She has been working with children since she was a teen–as a clown, story-teller, singer, puppeteer, and caregiver, and those skills keep her presentations moving at an upbeat tempo.
- Around the World: Children’s books are a global business. How might this change the world?
- How to Write Children’s Books. What does it take to write and publish your children’s book?
- Reading Together: Strategies for adults and children to read together and love it!
- Writing Together: Tips and projects for encouraging writing together.
FEES, LOCATION, TECHNOLOGY
Honorarium and fees are negotiable based on the length of the appearance, the distance, and the number of presentations given in a day. Organizations without a designated events or author appearances budget often are able to host such events via successful prior fund raising. Discounts are given to Maryland schools and libraries, and to groups that arrange for advance sales of Maryann’s books. Send an e-mail to Maryann to learn more.
RESOURCES
- Penguin Putnam Young Readers website offers information about planning author visits, as do other presses, such as Random House’s Author and Illustrator Appearance Kit, which has tips on event planning and fund raising.
- Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz’s book Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Real Space and Virtual Links is also a helpful resource.
DETAILED PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Adolescent and Adult Programs vary in length and size, from writing workshop to school assembly.
Write Now! This workshop focuses on the power of writing. How do writers get their ideas? How do they get started? Why do people write? Writers in prison, writers in exile, homeless writers, comic writers, graffiti writers, the power of writing, and teen writers are discussed. I share my experiences as a teen writer, and working with teens in the Sursum Corda housing projects of Washington, D.C.. Using examples from the earliest cave paintings, to e-books, to the early drafts and proofs of my books, we discuss the creative process from idea to finished work. Discussion, examples, and suggested follow on activities vary depending on age level, for example: make your own book, with themes tied in to course work; tell your own story; writing as rebellion; writing as memory; homeless writers; teen writers; and writing contests.
Around the World in 32 Pages. Books for young readers are now a huge global industry. What does it mean if young people around the world are all reading the same books? Is reading across borders an antidote to war? How do the same books read differently in different countries and cultures? What is lost in translation? Examples include Harry Potter, graphic novels, and my own children’s books published in six languages. We discuss global book piracy, global literacy rates, the dominance of the English language in books, movies, and music, and debates over the globalization of culture. For language classes we may read passages from my books in various languages, teaching students how to say “I Love You” and other phrases in several languages.
How to Write Children’s Books. What does it take to write and publish your children’s book? What editors look for and what they abhor. Trends in today’s market. Critique and feedback on students’ stories, and writing exercises. The business of writing. Pros and cons of agents, self-publishing, and e-publishing. Resources and recommendations.
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Parent Programs vary in length and size, from small writing workshop to large assembly, but all focus on the importance of reading and writing, and the process of reading and writing.
Reading Together This workshop for parents and children focuses on the emotional and educational value of reading together. Reading together costs nothing, but is a priceless gift we can give each other. How can reading together fit into a world dominated by films, television, computer and video games with high tech graphics and special effects? Reading provides quality together time, check-in time, and a quiet space where bonds to each other and to learning can grow. The benefits go both ways. Children enjoy undivided parental attention, learn, and improve reading, attention, and retention skills. Parents enjoy some quiet time, learn about their children’s evolving personalities, and get a chance to create memories which will last a lifetime. The benefits of reading together, the obstacles to creating quality together time, and strategies for reading together, including reading on the run, are discussed. The workshop also stresses the importance of children reading to parents. My recent books, You Are My I Love You and You Are My Miracle, and other good read-together books are discussed. Reading is not just the teacher’s job. We are all teachers. Reading is an opportunity for enjoyment and enrichment for us all. Especially appropriate for literacy programs.
Writing Together. This workshop for parents and children focuses on the emotional and educational value of writing together. Writing family memories from adult and child points of view. Writing and sharing family history and the family tree. Writing through family problems and growing pains. Joint diaries. Good writing together books and resources are discussed.