Speaking

When I speak of the highest possibilities of words and their power to join our hearts across time and place, I mean the word speak quite literally. There are some things we are able to convey more fully out loud than in the silent words on a page.

In my own case, since I bring decades of experience as not only a writer and as a speaker but also as a performer—as an actor, singer, musician, and magician (really!)—I relish each opportunity to combine these interrelated arts in service of intercultural dialogue, ecological sanity, and compassion and imagination in our human relations.

Where I Speak

Here’s a sampling of some of the places I’ve spoken, performed, taught, and sung:

• Libraries including the King County Library System in Washington State, the National Library Board in Singapore, and the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai, India.
• Literary festivals including the Singapore Writers Festival, the Chennai International Book Fair, the Vashon Poetry Festival, and the Cascadia Poetry Festival.
• Community organizations in San Francisco, Boston, Houston, Austin, Jacksonville, Washington, DC, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Vashon, Toronto, Singapore, and India.
• Schools, colleges, and universities including Colby College, the Evergreen State College, the University of Washington, Seattle University, Lewis and Clark College, Sai University, Krea University, American College, Tamil University, Arignar Anna Government Arts College Namakkal, the Chennai School of the Krishnamurthy Foundation India, the Nature School of Timbaktu Collective in Andhra Pradesh, Vashon High School, StudentLink Alternative High School Puesta del Sol Spanish Immersion School, and Universidad de la Tierra – Oaxaca.

• International conferences, congresses, and symposia including the Singapore Translation Symposium, the 11th World Tamil Research Congress in Malaysia, the 5th International Thirukkural Conference in Chicago, the 6th International Thirukkural Conference in Toronto, The American Literary Translators Association Conference in Philadelphia, and the 3rd International Humanism Conference on Social Justice in Toronto.
• Arts organizations and festivals including the Kerala SeedFest 2025, Medai Black Box Theatre in Chennai, Singapore Book Council, Arts House Singapore, Tamil Literary Garden in Toronto, Town Hall Seattle, Vashon Center for the Arts, Open Space for Arts and Community, Salons For Life, The Elliot Bay Book Company, Vashon Book Shop, 12th Avenue Arts, Sahrdaya Foundation Dance Academy, Fireflies Ashram, and the Vashon Japan Festival.

• Museums, civic organizations, and historical landmarks such as the Vashon-Maury Heritage Museum, Mukai Farm & Garden, Seattle City Council, and the Museum at Campbell River in British Columbia, Canada.
• Retirement communities such as Fairwinds-Brittany Park and Horizon House.
• Churches such as Plymouth Congregational Church and University Congregation United Church of Christ.
• Private gatherings including weddings, anniversaries, and other significant celebrations.

How I Speak

I am humbled and grateful to have experience and a background that allows me to speak in a variety of ways, some of them quite unexpected and unusual for audiences more accustomed to people speak talking from lecterns or podiums.

Not that I have anything against lecterns and podiums! My offerings as a speaker can fall anywhere on a continuum from a formal lectures, on the one end, to a complete theatrical performance, on the others, with any number of possibilities in between.

Whenever I’m invited to present, I work closely with the organizers of the event to find the right combination of formality and pizzazz for the particular at hand. My varied international and intercultural experience allows me to be sensitive and responsive to each audience and setting without ceasing to be surprising.

How I Can Work With You

Since every organization has its own audience, mission, calendar, and dreams, I’ve organized the specific details about what I can offer and how I work under the following broader headings. Please choose the one that’s closest to yours. With any luck I’ll have answered most of the questions you might have.

Then don’t hesitate to write to me through the form at the bottom of this page and let me know what you’re thinking.

Together we’ll create something that will inspire, teach, nourish, and encourage the people you serve for a very long time.