I love organizing workshops and talks!
I am available to speak on panels and lead workshops for people of all ages on media, comics, history, and gender issues. Get in touch if you'd like me to come speak at your store, school, or event. As an adjunct writing and research professor in Portland State University's MFA in Art and Social Practice, I'm also happy to lead group or individual writing workshops.
Here are some examples of workshops I've recently led:
• Speak Up, Make Change! This talk addresses ways to be an effective activist on your campus and in your wider community by working with media and strategically partnering with existing groups and resources. We talk about specific examples of social justice activism in history, with a focus on feminism and racial justice. This lecture centers on media empowerment and how to make your voice heard by your own writing in print and online, then we transition into a workshop where participants brainstorm in small groups how to take on an issue that's important to them.
• Don't Hate Media, Make Media: Zine-Making 101 - In this talk, I quickly introduce the audience to the history of zines and the power self-publishing holds today. We look at examples of zines and why people are still pouring energy into printed matter in this digital age. At the end of the workshop, we make a collaborative zine together and print it on the spot so everyone can take home a copy.
• Creating Nonfiction Comics - As a comics writer, editor, and artist, I love discussing today's blossoming comics scene. In this workshop, I discuss how comics have the potential to share narratives in a particularly powerful and engaging way. I share examples of the diversity of comics creators working right now and share real-life examples of how writers and artists have turned their passion for comics into careers.
SELECTED PAST TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
University of Northern British Columbia
• Keynote speaker and "Make Your Own Media" workshop leader at the Inspiring Women Among Us Conference (November 2016)
Geek Girl Con
• Organizer and moderator of the panel "Queering Dystopia: LGBTQ Representation Apocalyptic Sci-Fi" (October 2016)
• Speaker on two panels in 2015 about feminist representation in pop culture
Hand-Eye Supply Curiosity Club
• Lecture and workshop: "The Joy of Zines" (October 2016)
National Geographic Channel – Original Sin documentary
• Expert commentator discussing the history of American sex education (August 2016)
University of California – San Diego
• Take Back the Night keynote speaker and workshop leader (April 2016)
University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Lecture: “Speak Up, Make Change” (March 2016)
Grinnell College
• Lecture: Advice on Being a Journalist IRL (March 2016)
• Workshop: Working With Media as an Effective Activist (March 2016)
Oregon Public Broadcasting
• Oregon News Roundtable recurring guest
• Think Out Loud featured guest on three shows: “Contrasting Coverage” ; “Oregon History Comics” and “Navigating Nonmonogamy.”
Portland City Club
• New Leaders Collective Spotlight talk: Gender and Digital Identity (March 2016)
Agora Journalism Center at the University of Oregon
• Panel member for the 2015 “Making and Consuming Better Media” conference
Yale University
• Online Feminist Journalism panelist (January 2014) — read coverage of this event
Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Women’s Leadership Conference keynote speaker (March 2014)
Linfield College
• Lecture: Five Bright Ideas in Feminist Media (March 2014)
Skidmore College
• Speak Up, Make Change workshop leader and lecture on feminist media (January 2014)
Beloit College
• Talk on Five Bright Ideas in Feminist Media (November 2013)
Lewis and Clark College
• The Future of Feminism discussion leader (April 2013)
Portland State University
• Transmit Culture: Comics and Graphic Novel Publishing panelist (May 2013)
• Working Writers Lecture Series reading (November 2012)
Center for Women, Politics and Policy
• Feminism in Pop Culture teen workshop (April 2013)
Oregon Humanities
• Keynote talk and teen media literacy workshop at Idea Lab (July 2014)
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon
• Reproductive Rights and Wrongs clip show and discussion (April 2013)
• “Stories from the Dark Side of Dating” storyteller (February 2012)
Independent Publishing Resource Center
• The Future of Indie Lit and Comics Publishing panelist (May 2013)
• Amazine-Day presenter (May 2013)
• Regular teacher of Zines 101 and self-publishing classes (2009-2012)
Powell’s Books
• Sex from Scratch Reading and Release Party (August 2014)
• Oregon History Comics Reading and Release Party (March 2012)
Stumptown Comics Fest
• Presenter on “The Future of History” (April 2012)
• Workshop on “Creating Nonfiction Comics” (April 2013)
Washington County Historical Society
• Lecture on Oregon History Comics (July 2012)