Author Visits & Presentations

For Young Readers & Writers | For Grown-up Writers | For Teachers & Librarians

“Your presentation was marvelous! I especially loved the way you blended a topic about social justice with a lesson on a literary archetype.  Wow!”  Beth Cain, The Gregory School

“Wow!  Cynthia Levinson was fantastic!  Her presentation was so well done and her message couldn’t have been more appropriate for our beautiful students!” Carolyn Johnson, St. Francis International School

I visit schools and libraries in person and Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet. Please contact me at clevinson@austin.rr.com to discuss schedule and arrangements. 

Below are my typical presentations. Let me know if you have something else in mind!

1. Workshops and Playshops for Young Readers and Writers

My energetic, interactive presentations for young readers and writers meld content-learning with Common Core-based writing skills. You can share travel expenses by coordinating visits with other nearby schools. Please look at Upcoming Appearances to see when I will be in your area. 

~ “You’re Never Too Little To Make A Difference”

When Audrey Faye Hendricks was nine years old, she stood up to segregation and said, “That’s not right!” She was determined to make a difference. Kids in Grades 1-5 can make a difference, too. Following Audrey’s journey, they talk about issues they want to fix, create signs, and then step up to change their world.

~ “The Hero’s Journey: It’s Not Just for Fiction”

Using a map of the mythic “Hero’s Journey,” students in Grades 3-8 learn about narrative arc while following the route of real heroic children.

~ “Writing Truth that Reads Like Fiction”

Students in Grades 3-8 learn how the factors that make fiction seem real–characterization, plot, setting, story arc–can bring their nonfiction writing to life.

~ “The Constitution: It’s Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be”

Did you know that childhood obesity can be traced to the Constitution? Or, that a bill might not pass even though a majority of both houses of Congress and the president support it? Students in Grades 4-12 hear real-life stories, learn the history, and debate what to do about Fault lines in the Constitution. Presentations are customized for elementary, middle, and high school.

~ “How Do You Draw Justice?”

Kids care about a lot of issues–the climate, kindness to animals, and above all, fairness. And they express their opinions in a lot of ways! In this session, students in Kindergarten-Grade 4 learn how the artist Ben Shahn drew pictures of his concerns; then, they try their hand.

I also visit by Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet!

Please contact me if you would like a presentation-by-distance to talk about content, length, and fee.

2. Workshops and Presentations for Grown-up Writers

I offer three-hour, exercise-based workshops and one-hour presentations for writers. Topics include those below as well as others that we can discuss. Please contact me at clevinson@austin.rr.com for topics, schedule, fees, and arrangements. To hear some of my advice, listen to my interview with Bethany Hegedus on The Porchlight (Episode 10).

~ “What Happened?!”

Nonfiction isn’t for sissies. Witnesses disagree on what they saw. Sometimes people willfully misremember. Occasionally, the truth is just not findable. What’s a nonfiction writer to do?

~ “The Hero’s Journey: It’s Not Just for Fiction”

The narrative arc known as The Hero’s Journey, which was teased out by Joseph Campbell from his study of thousands of powerful myths from around the world, has become a classic format for novels and movie scripts. But, it’s not just for fiction.

Learn how the hero’s journey can help you organize your nonfiction project, select and highlight key events from your subject’s complex trajectory (while downplaying others), and move your true story from an intriguing opening through heightened tension to a satisfying resolution.

~ “Writing Truth that Reads Like Fiction”

The factors that make fiction seem real–characterization, plot, setting, story arc–bring nonfiction to life as well. Learn how to research and incorporate these techniques into your nonfiction Work in Progress.

3. Presentations for Teachers and Librarians

I offer one-hour presentations for teachers on both the content of my books and on teaching research and writing skills. Topics include those below as well as others that we can discuss. Please contact me at clevinson@austin.rr.com for topics, schedule, fees, and arrangements.

~ “The Constitution: It’s Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be”

Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today tells true stories, provides historical background, and lays out alternatives to fundamental problems in the US Constitution. Did you know, for instance, that childhood obesity can be traced to the Constitution? Or, that a bill might not pass even though a majority of both houses of Congress and the president support it? This workshop shows you how to bring these issues to life and to debate in your classroom. I recommend keeping up to date on these issues by checking the Fault Lines blog.

~ “Writing Truth that Reads Like Fiction”

The factors that make fiction seem real–characterization, plot, setting, story arc–bring nonfiction to life as well. This workshop shares exercises and techniques on how to help students research for important details and incorporate them into their nonfiction writing.

~ “Reluctant Reader: Meet Reluctant Hero”

Reading an entire book, especially nonfiction, can be daunting to reluctant readers. However, by using graphic organizers, students can follow the thread of one person, a real-life “bad boy” who became a hero, to read in a book–and still get the big picture.