Miss Conduct talks!

Going through our mail when we got home (photo essay from England coming soon!) I found a sleek little brochure in the mail from my synagogue, announcing their "Summer in the City" series--a series of lectures, classes, etc. on Jewish-but-not-religious topics that they run every summer. And the final lecturer will be: me! They've got that picture of me on the side of my blog on the brochure and everything! I'll have to send the ConductMom one to put up on her refrigerator.

The talk will be about Jewish values in "Miss Conduct," which is a talk I've given fairly often before, but it's always been at Hadassah or other women's groups, so this will be the first time Mr. Improbable has gotten to see it. (I've seen his talks plenty, and someday will blog the story of how I took over and gave his talk for him in Austria when he was suddenly stricken with laryngitis.)

If you can't promote yourself on your own blog, where can you promote yourself? So if you're in charge of putting together any kind of entertainment/educational series for an organization or company--e-mail me. I'm a good speaker, I can work a room and create a real sense of community, and until the book comes out, my rates are very, very reasonable.

I've got five set talks, which I can do with or without a Q&A at the end, though it's more fun for me and the audience with. Here's the descriptions of them (excuse the lapse into PR speak--sometimes my old publicist persona comes out and I can't control her):

That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It: Why We Read, and Tell, the Stories We Do
This popular talk is based on my research on cognitive models of literary genre, and the interaction between personality and genre—in short, why we read, and tell, the stories we do. I have extensive experience in many kinds of communication—from standup comedy to teaching to corporate memo-writing—and can help communicators and leaders in any field gain greater control over their message.

Jewish Values in "Miss Conduct" (Alternate titles: My Mom and Maimonides; Jew by Choice, Yenta by Birth)
How I became Jewish, how I became an advice columnist, and the relationship between the two. How my Jewish values and experience inform my answers as Miss Conduct. This entertaining yet thought-provoking talk is illustrated with questions and answers from the "Miss Conduct" column and ends with questions from the audience.

Shy Snobbery: How Modern Life Increases Social Anxiety and Self-Centeredness--And What to Do About It
Psychologists have agreed for many years that rates of social anxiety (shyness) are increasing. My background in psychology and experience as "Miss Conduct" (and as a recovering shy person) have provided me with a unique perspective on what makes people shy--and why. This entertaining and thought-provoking talk suggests three social reasons for increasing shyness, three psychological responses to modern-day pressures, and three things that people can do to help themselves overcome shyness.

Dealing with Diversity: How to Live in a Complicated World
This talk is based on the upcoming book Mind Over Manners. The focus is not so much on demographic diversity, but of diversity of values, priorities, and life experiences. What courtesies do parents and the childless, pet owners and the dog-phobic, vegans and omnivores, the healthy and the sick, owe each other?

Surviving the Holidays
A seasonal talk, based on my feature of the same title published in the Boston Globe Magazine in December 2006. Addresses the so-called War on Christmas, “Happy Holidays,” how to cope with unrealistic expectations (others’ and one’s own), and making the holidays fun rather than a chore. Another good one for lots of Q&A!

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I can also do talks on more customized topics, although my fee for those, or for anywhere I've got to travel to, will be higher (still reasonable, though!) If any of these sound intriguing--or if you've got another topic or social problem entirely that you'd like to hear Miss Conduct expound on--you know where to reach me.