OELMA 2022 keynote

Thank you again to the Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA), in particular Kris Kronik, Karen Gedeon, Lisa Barnes-Prince, and your team, for inviting me to keynote (along with my friend Donalyn Miller) your first in-person conference since 2019. It was a privilege!

photo: Donalyn Miller

Donalyn is every bit as great a speaker as you've heard.

Questions that can come up when your talk is during lunch.

I happened upon two of my Junior Library Guild books 

on a table in front of the JLG booth.

This was the sixth state library conference I've had the opportunity to keynote; the others were in Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, and (virtually) Pennsylvania.

Feedback on my keynote:

• LOVED Marc Tyler Nobleman!
• I went home and watched the Marc Nobleman documentary. Loved it!
• Nobleman is an excellent speaker. His connection to research as solving a mystery would be an excellent way to introduce research to students of any age. Would definitely like to see him return to OELMA.
• Uplifting.
• Marc was amazing!
• I adored them both. (Donalyn) Miller reminded me why I became a librarian; Nobleman gave me more tools as a teacher librarian assisting with research.
• Loved MTN's connection to research and primary sources.
• multiple responses of passionate, inspiring, informative

Biographer of underdogs, Superman of author presentations

Just now discovering (or possibly rediscovering) a blog post sharing a Jewish-themed podcast I did nearly a decade ago. I was touched and tickled by two ways I am described: the title “biographer of underdogs” and, from the comment, “the Superman of author presentations.”

This micro-post is brought to you by summer.

Keynote for Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference 2021

On 4/15/21, I had the privilege of delivering the 1.5-hour opening keynote for the Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference…from my basement office. Shoeless.

Such are our times.

Sometimes your work and a conference theme just understand one another.

I’m lucky that my story is so twisty that it holds attention whether shared on stage or by screen. Because we are now all members of Zoom Nation, I tell viewers (AKA audience members) to think of my talk not as yet another yammering head in a box but rather as a very low-budget Netflix film. I don’t know if that makes the experience more palatable for anyone, but I want them to know I empathize. 

The conference organizers kindly shared with me the feedback I received. A sampling by category:

GENERAL

• “What a tremendous presentation! Absolutely brought tears to my eyes. We learned some excellent strategies for teaching primary source that we can all incorporate into our lessons.”
• “What a story! I was a fan of Boys of Steel…but what a change Marc made [for Bill Finger’s] legacy. I will share with my students for years to come.”
• “I love how he used his investigative skills to uncover the truth. Great speaking skills! I’m playing the recording for my husband.”
• “Marc is a great storyteller! So inspiring!”
• “I loved Marc’s tenacity and positive attitude!”
• “Being able to hear from a terrific author, I didn’t realize how deeply I had been starved of that, and it helped breathe life into my library soul.”
• “Marc’s depth of knowledge and passion for his writing and books is impeccable.”
• “This entire presentation was amazing!”
• “This was so good!”

BRINGING ME TO THEIR SCHOOL

• “I just LOVED this keynote! I can’t wait to figure out how to get Marc to present for my school.”
• “Would love to have Marc speak at my school!”
• “Fascinating. I would love to host an author visit at my school and feel this is such a great story for all my students to hear.”
• “I loved Marc’s strategies for conducting research and I hope to be able to have him do a school visit with us in the future.”

TAKEAWAYS ON RESEARCH

• “This presenter was a research all-star. I can use his examples of deep research to inspire students to keep digging for information.”
• “His research experience was incredible. Something students would love to hear about.”
• “I teach research skills to high school students and one of the most important attributes to be successful is perseverance. Marc’s story is a perfect example of this.”
• “Marc’s talk is a great public service announcement for the research cycle/process!”
• “I will share his ideas with the MS and LS librarians. I will use his examples of research and use of primary sources in my instructional classes. Good for advisory groups!”
• “I would love to use your story to teach students that the internet is not the only resource.”
• “Demonstrating his perseverance and commitment to finding the truth through primary source research can serve as a great role model for our students.”
• “Ask questions now—you don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance to again.”

TAKEAWAYS ON OTHER EDUCATIONAL TOPICS

• “I have SO many ideas to utilize Marc’s story to teach my students more about intellectual property, the value of personal story, the importance of credit and honesty, and the power of each individual person.”
• “Marc gave excellent ideas on lessons about truth and history, intellectual property, and the power of research. Even though I teach HS students, I think discussing the stories he uncovered can be a great lesson.”
• “I already ordered Marc’s book. It can be used to teach copyright, research skills, ask questions you can’t Google, letter writing, and persistence. I will suggest this book to my teachers as a mentor text.”
• “I would love to share with my students Marc’s story about the importance of proper credit. Such an impactful message!” 
• “I am planning on using his book with a lesson on plagiarism for my elementary students.”
• “Teaching people to speak up for injustice is part of being a good citizen.”
• “I had never considered evaluating credit to see if there was an error that needed correction.”

THE POWER OF A SINGLE VOICE

• “The idea that there is always truth to be told. That one person CAN make a difference. And that we all need to speak up when the truth is not out.”
• “The story demonstrated how one person can make a difference in history.”
• “There is so much from this keynote that can be utilized in my work. This is such a wonderful example of the impact one person can have.”
• “It was a wonderful message about every voice having power and learning how to use your voice for good.”

“WHAT INFORMATION WAS OF GREATEST VALUE TO YOU?”

• “Can I say all of it? I particularly enjoyed Marc’s passion for the project, the way he connected with the community during the course of his research. I’m not sure he realized what a part of the story he has become by inserting himself into the journey as our guide. The narrator is a strong voice that keeps the story alive. We are all stories, and I thank Marc for sharing his and Bill’s.”
• “This was one of the best keynotes I have heard!”
• “I was in awe of the entire story.”
• “Marc had such a passion in his presentation that was infectious.”
• “A captivating, real-world example of the research process for a book that was relevant to adults and children alike.”
• “The author’s story was very inspiring.”

Thank you again, PSLA!

Virtual visit verdict

Well, a verdict, anyway: thumb’s up (whether the Zoom icon or your actual flesh-and-blood digit). 

In the shell-shocked early months of COVID-19, schools struggled simply to educate their students under difficult new conditions that felt sudden though epidemiologists (among others) knew such a situation was coming. 

Understandably for many schools, booking optional enrichment like author visits was not a priority—or, in some cases, a possibility. 

A year later, as the pandemic still rages, schools in general seem more open to the idea of piping in an author talk via the internet. (Granted, Skype author visits have existed almost as long as Skype has, but commonly as a backup, not the first choice.)

During COVID-19, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with students in a range of locales, from New Mexico to Hong Kong. While I am eager to return to in-person gatherings, I’ve found a lot to love about virtual visits and imagine they’ll remain a part of my portfolio past mass vaccination. 

Feedback on November presentations I gave for Michigan students in grades 1-6 (rescheduled as virtual after the virus torpedoed the originally planned in-person visit) helps explain why:

• “Wonderful virtual presentation! Even from a distance, the author was able to connect and engage my class! Fantastic opportunity!”—teacher in New Buffalo, MI
• “The opportunity to do something different was appreciated.”—teacher at F.C. Reed Middle School, Bridgman, MI
• “The virtual author visit…was very cool. The students were excited to meet Marc Nobleman and were intrigued by his stories and how much time and effort went into creating his works. Definitely worth the time!”—Principal Patrick Zuccala, Three Oaks Elementary, Three Oaks, MI

Thanks again to the Tri-County Reading Council and a generous grant from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians for making this experience a (virtual) reality.

Student feedback from the Montessori School of San Antonio

On 9/17/19, I had the privilege of speaking to young people at the Montessori School of San Antonio. They further honored me by sending a stack of thank you notes. Some comments that moved me, amused me, or both:

• “You are very funny and nothing was boring. Please come back and tell us more! We will miss you!”
• “Your methods for finding information are amazing. Whenever I do research, I’m sure you’ll come to mind.”
• “After your presentation, I was happy the whole day!”
• “I enjoyed you telling us your crazy awesome stories. You held my attention the whole entire time. I really hope that the other schools appreciate you as much as we did! You inspired me to start writing a book of my own, thanks!”
• “Honestly, it was the best presentation I have ever seen at [our school]. I had so much fun listening to [it]. I liked how you were funny, and how you got the audience involved.”
• “Your presentation was outstanding! It was one of the best presentations I have ever seen! I loved it because of how interactive it was.”
• “Your presentation was like one of the best presentations I’ve ever seen. I like how you present because you keep everybody interested.”
• “You are probably the best presenter in the whole world.”
• “I enjoyed it and it was funny and sad, normal and mad.”
• “I liked how [your presentation] was funny, but also factual.”
• “Not to be a broken record but again, I loved your presentation!”
• “We all loved your wonderful and engaging presentation, and it especially inspired me.”

School visit testimonials, word bubble style

Some magazines round up what they consider the best quotations of the previous week and display them within word bubbles; exhibit 1: Entertainment Weekly (which, effective after this week’s issue, is going monthly):

This inspired me to present some school visit testimonials in a similar fashion (sans heads):

My old school visit feedback form

In my early days (2004-2009) of speaking at schools about the life of a writer and (at the time) cartoonist, I required too much paperwork.

There were the essentials—well, essential: the contract. 

But then there were the extras.

I would bring feedback forms (yes, on paper) to leave with the school to copy and distribute to all teachers and students who heard my presentation. I further asked them to mail me the completed forms (at their expense!). Of course, I could not require them to do so, but I asked nicely, and a good number obliged. Sometimes I would get thick mailings with hundreds of responses.

Looking back, I am a bit embarrassed that I put schools in that position. I was asking a lot of people with more important things to do to take time to help me improve. Yes, asking young writers to "review" something is a valuable exercise, but still—curriculum is extensive and time is limited. I deeply appreciated the input and told them so, but no worries—I will not be resurrecting the practice.

My filing cabinet did not allow me to keep all of the forms, but I do have some favorites, including this one:

I am also no fan of my hair.

(And fourth grader Besart, wherever he is, would now be 24 years old...)

Inaugural speaker for Pat Scales lecture series at University of Montevallo

On 4/19/18, I had the honor of being the inaugural speaker for a lecture series at the University of Montevallo. It's outside Birmingham, Alabama, a city I'd visited for the first time only a month before, for (elementary) school visits. The university used to be all-female; males began to attend through the G.I. Bill (apparently all-male and coed campuses did not have enough slots to accommodate the number of men returning from WWII).

The lecture was part of a larger event called the Forte Festival of Creativity. Its theme was "Heroes and Heroines."

In a case of near-perfect timing, the day of the lecture was 80 years and a day after Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 (April 18, 1938). A lovely group of educators, students, and other community members attended.

I've not met Pat Scales but I hope to. She attended Montevallo and went on to become an advocate for intellectual freedom and a crusader against censorship. I delivered the lecture in a room in the library newly created to house Pat's generous donation of papers and children's books.

The room was bedecked with fantastic vintage Book Week posters. I wanted every one of them.

I was further heartened to learn that Montevallo attracts students who did not feel they could be themselves out loud in high school in the South, such as those who identify as LGBTQ. The campus was clearly open-minded and artistic.

And not-so-clearly haunted. 

Around 9 p.m. the night before my lecture, I was taken to where I'd spend the night: the King House.

Note: This is not what it looks like at night.

Built in 1823, it was one of the first houses in Alabama with glass windows. It sits in the middle of campus where it has developed a reputation for being a hotbed of paranormal activity. One of those ghost-hunting shows filmed there…and picked up readings.

The woman who showed me around the house did not bring this up on her own, but when I asked, she was more than happy to share stories…even though I was about to stay there by myself. Again, I brought it upon myself!

She said grown men have refused to step foot in the house. One guest saw a black faceless humanoid form hovering over the very bed I would sleep in. A notable author called campus police at 1 a.m. and asked to be taken to a hotel (the nearest of which was, I believe, about 30 miles away). Some have reported seeing Mr. King himself walking his former property with a lantern, perhaps looking for the gold he'd allegedly buried centuries ago.

I was told I may see Mr. King (the gentleman behind me) later that night…and not in a painting.

Even though I am interested in ghosts and have written about ghosts and have long wanted to experience something ghostly, I was a bit spooked staying alone in that house. I admit I left on the downstairs hall light and the bathroom light on the second floor, adjacent to the room in which I would sleep. Scaredy-cat and Mr. King.

Around midnight, when I was still up, I heard one unusual bang downstairs, as if someone had dropped something heavy or slammed a book against a wall. I did not go investigate. 

Morning came without other additional incident—at least any I was aware of. In the light of day, I did a walk-through and did not see anything on the ground that could have fallen and made the sound I heard.

This was both fortunate and unfortunate.

One of the students who heard me present saw my social media post and reacted in charming disbelief.

King House is not the only campus location with ghost sightings. In 1908, a student named Condie Cunningham caught on fire in her dorm room and ran down the hallway in panic, later dying from her injury. Some have reported that she is still around—and that her face "burned" into the door of what was her room. The door has been removed and is now stored in the campus archives.

Wondering about the possible implications of taking a photo of it, I hesitated at first. Then I figured that because I survived King House, maybe I'm not an unwelcome presence among the unexplained of Montevallo.

Thank you again to Anna Mary Williford for inviting me to Montevallo. Your introduction humbled and tickled me; thank you for allowing me to quote part of it (lightly edited):

I have been at the University of Montevallo for just over a year now. Prior to that, I was a librarian at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in Pennsylvania where I had the pleasure of coordinating their annual children's literature conference, which is where I met Marc. About a year before the conference, I received the first of what would be many emails with subject lines like, "Batman at Pitt Greensburg in 2015?" or "Batman, you know. Superman, you know. Nobleman, you will know." And I would think to myself, "Who is this guy who will not stop emailing me?!" I booked him as one of our keynote speakers for May 2015, a decision that I've never regretted!

But I will admit that at the time, I assumed his persistence was simply because he was doing his job, part of which was promoting the books he'd written. After hearing Marc speak, though, I realized that presenting his work was so much more than "part of the job" to him. Sharing his research with a wider audience was an essential part of his quest for the truth about Batman to finally be acknowledged. For a lot of authors, simply publishing Bill the Boy Wonder might have been enough—the book was out there now, people could read it and learn about what happened for themselves. But that wasn't enough for Marc, who wants to personally deliver his message to as many people as possible. I'm pretty sure that he set out to turn every student, teacher, librarian, or conference attendee who crossed his path into a soldier in his army for justice for the legacy of Batman, and I think that's exactly what he's accomplished over the past few years.

So when I watched Batman & Bill, I had to laugh at the fact that the first word Marc's wife uses to describe him is "persistent," as he is definitely one of the most persistent people I've ever met, but in a good way! That persistence is why he's here with us today, in more ways than one.

That's the passion Marc has for his work, and it will come across when you hear him speak in just a minute. On the subject of passionate folks, Pat Scales unfortunately couldn't join us this afternoon. However, she is familiar with—and a fan of!—Marc's work, and I am certain she'd be pleased with the fact that the inaugural speaker in the lecture series named for her is someone who shares many of the same values she's championed throughout her career: the desire to see the truth prevail; the importance of literacy and education; a calling to correct injustice, whether that injustice comes in the form of a banned or challenged book or a buried legacy just waiting to be uncovered and brought to light.

And thank you again to the plethora of Montevallo staff and students for extending me such a warm welcome.

If I come back, I want another shot at the King House…

"200 showed up...and it's a TUESDAY NIGHT"

I was happy to be one of them.

Thanks again, Claude Thompson Elementary of Marshall, VA!

Thank you letters from Thompson Elementary in Arlington, MA

Courtesy of goes-above-and-beyond librarian Liza Halley, I was honored to receive a stack of heartening notes from the students of Thompson Elementary School in Arlington, MA, where I spoke on 3/2/17 (and first signed my latest book, The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra).

Among my favorite comments:

• "You gave a breathtaking story. I walked out feeling different. I felt like I could do things I didn't know I could do."
• "Your performance was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To me and friends, it changed our lives. It truly changed my life."
• "In the beginning you told us 'I know some of you don't like superheroes, but you are going to leave this gym with a different perspective.' And not only was that true, it was incredible."
• "I am really, really excited to watch your movie coming out in early May. I hope that early May means May 4 because that's my birthday and that means it would be my spirit movie."
• "I like theories. But you took it to the next level."
• "Just to show you what a difference you made, when I went home and asked my mom and dad who Bob Kane was, they said 'Who's that?' and when I asked if they knew who Bill Finger was, they said 'He created Batman.'"
• "I got lost in your world of Batman and Bill Finger."
• "I am happy that I know who create Batman. I told my dad and this is what he said: wow."
• "You showed me that authors are much more than just people writing down stories: they're explorers, inventors, and creators."
• "When you told us you got Bill Finger's BEETLE, I really wanted it."
• "I loved how you said we should be curious. I went out to the woods with those words in my head and I found a huge spider the size of my hand!!!"
• "I miss you already."

"Inspired me not only as a student but as a writer"

Humbling feedback and other straight talk from the middle school students of Westfield Community School in Illinois after my presentation there:

• You digging in deeper and being so interested made me want to be an author and have an imagination. It was incredible how much you cared about what you were doing. Most people in my classes hate books but it's just amazing when you see someone care about it. It seems worth trying and caring as well.
• I can't believe you changed the copyright on all the Batman books and met Bill Finger's family! I hope I will change the world as much as you did. :)
• Your presentation was the most greatest presentation I have ever seen. It was super cool how you were determined to get Bill Finger's name as the real creator of Batman and also you never stopped when people were afraid to talk. You were brave and bold.
• Marc, you were the best author ever to come in and talk about the books. When I walked out of the gym, I was really sad that it was over. I wanted the presentation to go on and on and on. I hope you liked the trumpet performance because the one in the middle was my brother. I hope to see you again!
• Thanks for being so nice. Please come again and tell us more.
• I loved your visit. I am a big superhero fan myself. I found your research incredible. I love how you never gave up. It really inspired me not only as a student, but as a writer.
• I liked your presentation, but I wish Bob Kane would have been there to respond.
• You are DaBomb dot com in real life.
• Great job. It was the best and the most exciting assembly we have had.
• You have inspired so many kids about how you had a dream and it came true because of hard work and research.
• I hope that you have inspired other people besides me to research more. You also inspired me to fight for what I believe in even if it is hard. When I grow up I want to do something amazing like you did for the designer of Batman.
• I think what you do is very interesting because I would not have the time to do all that research!
• Well, you did it again, Marc. Just want to say thank you for coming to Westfield Community School.
• He was very funny and sounds cool! He was loud which made me excited because he actually wasn't boring like a lot of people.
• I enjoyed listening about your books. The reason I wouldn't want to purchase your books is because I don't need to! My brother has a ton of your books so I can just read them whenever I want.
• You opened up everybody's mind to trying new things and getting creative. I bet so many of the kids you talked to thought they couldn't do something just because they're a kid. Thank you again for being so kind and such an inspiration!
• It was very interesting and I went home and started making comic strips but the jokes in them are mostly inside jokes.
• I love the way that you used research for your books. I would definitely want to read your books, maybe somewhere near the future.
• I thought your presentation was quite lovely. I really enjoyed your visit. You are very welcome to come again.

Thank you all. I very well might!

Hurricanes and fire alarms vs. SCBWI conference

On 10/24/15, I had the privilege of speaking and mentoring fellow writers at the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic 2015 conference in Virginia. I spoke once to the general assembly and met with ten aspiring writers for 15 minutes each to discuss their picture book manuscripts.

I had it easy.

The only thing that went wrong for me was that the PowerPoint was glitchy due to a temperamental connection. It got to the point that an event organizer and a hotel rep had take turns manually holding a cable in place or else the screen would go blue or go bust.

Meanwhile, keynote author Kathi Appelt had valiantly tried to get out of Texas only to be thwarted by the historic Hurricane Patricia. So she turned around from the airport, went home, and delivered her charming keynote by Skype...

...during which the hotel fire alarm went off. And stayed on for longer than any fire alarm I recall—must have been five minutes and felt even longer due to the piercing sound. (This was the second time I’d been at an author event dramatically interrupted by a fire alarm…)

Kathi weathered that snafu like she’d weathered the weather, and the audience loved her more.

During my talk, I show a photo of Bob Kane’s grave, and an eagle-eyed attendee noticed that it happened to be his 100th birthday. I asked that we not sing “Happy Birthday” to him. Everyone understood.

Thank you to Erin Teagan, Val Patterson, and everyone else who enabled me to be there and who overcame these stressful surprises with grace. Good show!

Some reaction from the attendees:

Tennessee Association of School Librarians Conference 2015

Generally speaking, southerners are welcoming. Librarians are warm. So southern librarians are the human equivalent of apple pie.

I was reminded of this in full force on 9/26/15, when I delivered a keynote and breakout sessions at the Tennessee Association of School Librarians Conference.

This conference marked several firsts for me (beyond it being my first time in Murfreesboro). It was the first time I…

• signed the cover of one of my books, by request
• offered a discounted visit for the next school day, meaning Monday (meaning any interested school would have to arrange/contact her/his principal/PTA over the weekend)
• told a conference crowd my Bill Finger story with the new, more uplifting ending (after being introduced by Batman himself...and on International Batman Day, no less!)

A selection of reactions to my presentations:

It was also the first time I encountered a librarian with the following great idea. First, the background.

In one of my TASL talks, I explained how a Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman spread my editor showed me in the penultimate layout stage was in full color, but ended up in black and white in the finished product—changed without consulting me. Unfortunately, that was a goof—that spread depicts (what is implied to be) the first movie appearance of Superman, circa early 1940s, and while I can understand why someone would assume a film of that period should therefore be in black and white, it was actually in vivid Technicolor.

I mentioned this to demonstrate the level of accuracy I strive for.

A librarian sympathetic to this situation said she is going to color-copy the correct spread and attach it to her library copy of Boys of Steel with an explanation, so kids will learn of the error—and part of the process of making a picture book. Though this was a relatively small oversight, it obviously bothered me, and now it makes for a great teachable moment. If this librarian shares photos of this with me, I will in turn share them here.

Thank you again to the delightful Mindy Nichols for the TASL invitation.

Thank you also to the attendees for your attention and enthusiasm. I’ll come back anytime!

Thank you letters from Portland, TX 6th graders

On 5/7/15, I had the pleasure of speaking for the third year in a row at Gregory-Portland Intermediate School in Portland, TX. My kind host Cati Partridge made sure the visit was as lovely as the previous two years, and the kids again showed the kind of manners that never go out of style by writing me thank you notes.

Favorite passages:

• “You’ll be famous, but not in the way Bob Kane was.”
• “If you write back to me, I’ll tell my grandma she doesn’t have to get me a PS3 for my birthday this year! I’ll just frame up the letter and hang it on my wall!”
• “I wasn’t expecting that Bob Kane would take all the credit for Batman. I so totally would have gone all Joker on him.”
• “You shine like Batman in front of the moon.”
• “I think about Bill Finger and how he never got the fame or recognition that he so deserved so I think that the fact that you’re informing people all over the U.S. is a big thing.”
• “You looked like an ordinary guy, but when you talked about all your discoveries, I was wondering how you have not sold a trillion copies of Boys of Steel!”
• “I’m now and forever in your army!”
• “May your army unite!”
• “You changed how I think about writing.”
• “I went home and told my parents all about it. They loved the story.”
• “I saw a connection between the creators and Batman and Superman. Joe and Jerry were like they were from a far-off planet, like Superman. Bill was living in secret, like Batman.”
• “If Superman is the ‘Man of Steel,’ and human bones are five times stronger than steel, does that mean I’m five times stronger than Superman?”
• “I told my family, Batman fans, about what I learned and they were amazed that I knew this. I credited you, of course.”
• “Soon you can come to my house and my dad will smoke up some deer sausage.”

Note: Some students referenced an army because near the conclusion of my presentation, I say some variation on this: “You’re in my army now because you now know the truth about Bill Finger. The ability to tell the truth is the closest we mere mortals come to having a superpower. The truth can change history.”

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Children’s Literature Conference 2015

On 5/1/15, I was one of two keynote speakers at the 19th annual University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Children’s Literature Conference.

 

 

The other was Ben Sapp, a dapper chap whose path I’ve crossed before.

I was happy to discover that attendees appreciated the conference as I did, as this feedback on my presentation indicates:

• “Would love to hear more from this guy!”
• “So good! Glad I heard his story! Can’t wait to read it!”
• “I thoroughly enjoyed this session and would love to see him again.”
• “I enjoyed his laid back approach to teaching. I can bring back several ideas to the library.”
• “I love this guy! He inspires me to do more research.”
• “I got many program ideas for our public library. He was an engaging speaker and very entertaining.”
• “I would take a workshop that he was teaching again.”
• “Outstanding presentation. Had to buy two of his books.”
• “Funny, engaging, and interesting. Great study of the genre.”
• “Great ideas to use with student writing!”
• “What a great and entertaining speaker. His talk was so interesting.”
• “Fantastic inspirational speaker.”
• “I’ve become a Bill Finger advocate!”
• “Great speaker and author. Will be back to hear more outstanding speakers like Marc Tyler Nobleman.”

Feedback from the Charlotte S. Huck Festival

On 2/27-28/15, I was a featured speaker at the Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival in Redlands, CA. 

I really enjoyed my audiences and was humbled to discover there was some mutuality to that feeling. A sampling:

• “Wow—incredible! An inspiration—absolutely gripping story everyone should hear”
• “Could listen to him for a long time”
• “Easy and humorous style make his Q&A fascinating”
• “Powerful and engaging”
• “Great message about the hard work of research”
• “Awesome information, stories, advice, and ideas”
• “Amazing researcher! It was cool to learn so many things I never knew about popular culture”
• “Learned so many interesting facts, really enjoyed his process”
• “It ended too fast”

Thank you all!

Iowa Reading Association Conference 2014

On 6/24/14, I had the honor of delivering two keynotes at the Iowa Reading Association Conference in Ames, IA. It was was my first time to the state, though all I got to see was the stretch between airport and conference site.

I got to tell some of my favorite stories...in an appropriately named county:

I got to take home this gift, a piece of tag-cloud art customized to my work:

And I got to be humbled by many nice tweets afterward, such as these:

Thank you again to Deb Mortensen for inviting me, and to the educators who took the time to listen to me.

The kindness of students

For the second year in a row, I was invited to speak at Gregory-Portland Intermediate School in Portland, TX. And for the second year in a row, my kind host Cati Partridge sent me a thick stack of thank you letters from the students who were forced to listen to me for an hour. And for the second year in a row, I was struck by many of them. Here are some comments that stood out:

• “It takes a real man to look up that much information! If it were my opinion, you actually made history!”
• “Out of all the guest speakers, you were the best…and the most hilarious. You have inspired me to follow through with all of my dreams and goals. My first goal is to make varsity soccer and my second is to become an open heart surgeon. I think you helped a lot with making them come true.”
• “I honestly thought it was going to be another boring author, but you turned out to be really interesting! Superheroes aren’t real but I can certainly see one in you!”
• “I think your dedication to your writing is very inspiring and many other authors could learn from you. You’re a funny, awesome, and a nobleman [sic].”
• “Now you’re famous and you inspired many people in my school, including me. You are the best person I know that has good speeching [sic] skills.”
• “In Language class, we’re doing a project where we pick an author and research them. I wish I would’ve known about your books!”
• “What is it like to be a superhero…writer?”
• “I want to do what you do—investigate and look for stuff people don’t even know about. Mr. Nobleman, is all of this you do worth it?”
• “If only Bill Finger or Batman could see you now.”
• “I was stunned when my teachers told us that an author was coming to our school. I thought that our little town was finally getting recognized by people. But then I remembered that you came last year and we were already on the map thanks to you.”
• “Thank you, not just for coming to our school but for taking time out of your life to find these things out. To give credit to those who were given none and to shine light on those who were put in darkness. To me, however insignificant this letter may be, you are a hero.”
• “When my dad picked me up from school, I told him everything [you said]! He said I’ve never said I liked something at school.”
• “Halloween would have been much more boring without [Bill Finger]!”
• “You are a loyal, great, hard-working fan of superheroes. It’s almost like you’re their hero.”