Events
Upcoming Events (2025)
April 22, 2025
Book talk (virtual), D.C. Women’s networking group, 12:30-2:00
April 22, 2025
Book talk, Alexandria Historical Society, The Lyceum, Alexandria, Va., 7 p.m.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
April 29, 2025
Book discussion, Dupont Circle Village Soup Salon, Washington, D.C, 5:30-7:00
May 4, 2025
Book talk (virtual), Brandeis National Committee Northern Virginia Chapter
May 5, 2025
Author talk & book signing, Philanthropic Educational Organization, Springfield, Va.
November 5, 2025
Author talk & book signing, New Annapolitans Women’s Group, Edgewater, Md. (TENTATIVE)
November 13, 2025
Author talk & book signing, Asbury Methodist Village, Gaithersburg, Md.
(TENTATIVE)
Upcoming Events (2026)
March 21, 2026
Author talk & book signing, AAUW Fredericksburg Branch, Fredericksburg, Va.
April 2, 2026
Author talk & book signing, Mt. Vernon Garden Club, Alexandria, Va. (TENTATIVE)
Recent Events (2025)
April 17, 2025
Author talk & book signing | AAUW-Alexandria/Mt. Vernon
Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, Va.
April 9, 2025
Author talk & book signing, Arlington Retired Teachers Association
Arlington, Va.
April 8, 2025
Author talk & book signing | National Capital Garden Clubs,
National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.
April 5, 2025
Luncheon speaker | National Society Daughters of the American Revolution,
Chevy Chase, Md.
March 27, 2025
Luncheon speaker | Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.
March 26, 2025
Staff briefing | National Geographic Society, Washington, DC
March 20, 2025
Author talk | Ox Bow Brewery in Ashburn, Va., with Natalie Jacobsen,
author of the YA novel Ghost Train
March 14, 2025
Author talk & book signing | Woodlands Retirement Community, Fairfax, Virginia
March 12, 2025
Author talk & book signing | Arlington Neighborhood Book Club
March 7, 2025
Book signing | First Friday open house in downtown Marietta, Ohio, hosted by Teri Ann’s boutique
February 13, 2025
Guest appearance | National Geographic Storyteller’s Summit, Eliza Scidmore Storytelling Award
February 6, 2025
Author talk (virtual) | Clifton Community Women’s Club, Fairfax Station, Va.
Past Events (2024)
December 16, 2024
Evening book discussion | Waterford House Book Club, Arlington, Va.
November 27, 2024
Luncheon talk | Rotary Club of Washington, D.C., University Club
November 2, 2024
Lunchtime book discussion | Lake Barcroft Book Club, Falls Church, Va.
October 27, 2024
Author talk & book signing | Arlington County Library
“From Alaska to the Far East With Gilded Age Journalist Eliza Scidmore”
Westover Branch, Arlington, Va.
October 24, 2024
In discussion on Meiji Japan with author Natalie Jacobsen, author of Ghost Train
People’s Book, Takoma Park, Md.
September 16, 2024
Program speaker | AAUW—Arlington Branch, Arlington, Va.
September 12, 2024
In discussion with Sara Fitzgerald, author of The Silenced Muse
One More Page Books, Arlington, Va.
September 10, 2024
Program speaker | Local chapter of Professional Educational Opportunities,
Falls Church, Va.
July 25, 2024
Author discussion & lunch | Northwest Washington Book Club, at Inn at Glen Echo, Md.
July 18, 2024
Virtual interview | New Books Network podcast with Sarah Bramao-Ramos
Listen to podcast here
May 8, 2024
Author discussion & lunch | Book group in McLean, Va., at Army-Navy Club, Arlington, Va.
April 11, 2024
Virtual talk | White House Historical Association, History Happy Hour
See below or watch on YouTube at this link
April 6, 2024
Book talk & signing | Arlington County Library, Cherrydale Branch, Arlington, Va.
March 26, 2024
Program speaker | Woman’s National Democratic Club, Washington, D.C.
March 24, 2024
Author interview | Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., in conversation with author and biographer Stephanie Deutsch
See below or watch on YouTube at this link
March 22, 2024
Program speaker | Asian-American Forum, Kenwood Country Club, Bethesda, Md.
March 21, 2024
Podcast interview | Immigration Nerds podcast with host Lauren Clarke
March 20, 2024
Book talk & signing | Montgomery County Library, Wheaton Branch, Silver Spring, Md.
March 18, 2024
Podcast interview | Unsung History podcast with Kelley Therese Pollack
March 13, 2024
Program speaker | Capital Speakers Club, Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Md.
March 12, 2024
Book talk & signing | Washington International Club, Hillwood Museum, Washington, D.C.
March 9, 2024
Book talk & signing | AAUW-Northern Va. District, Alexandria Library, Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch
March 5, 2024
Author interview | Library of Congress, “Made at the Library,” virtual talk via Zoom with manuscripts librarian Liz Novara and photo curator Mari Nakahara
Watch Library of Congress talk at this link
February 18, 2024
Book talk & signing | Colonial Dames of Washington, Abner Cloud House, Washington, D.C.
Past Events (2023)
December 16, 2023
Author event | Takoma Park Book Fair, Busboys & Poets bookstore, Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.
November 4, 2023
Workshop presenter | “Shaping Your Book of Narrative Nonfiction,” The Writer’s Center, Bethesda, Md.
October 27, 2023
Author meet & greet | American Association of University Women, McLean (Va.) Branch
Oct. 17, 2023
Book talk & signing | Marietta Garden Club, Betsey Mills Club, Marietta, Ohio
June 4, 2023
Book talk & signing | The Fountains of Hilltop and local book club, Grand Junction, Col.
May 19-21, 2023
Workshop presenter | “Structuring and Revising Your Manuscript,” Biographers International Organization (BIO) conference in New York
May 13, 2023
Panelist | Washington Writers Conference, “Women’s Voices Across Genres”
May 11, 2023
Virtual talk | Japan America Society of Chicago
April 20, 2023
Book talk & signing | Association of Oldest Inhabitants in Washington, D.C.
Watch on YouTube at this link
April 15, 2023
Book talk & signing | Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, Va
April 5, 2023
Book talk & signing | American News Women’s Club, Washington, D.C.
March 30, 2023
Guest presenter | Trust for the National Mall donor reception, Washington, D.C.
March 29, 2023
Virtual talk | U.S. National Arboretum/Friends of the Arboretum, “Eliza Scidmore: Botanical Ambassador for Japan and Its Cherry Trees”
Watch the talk below or at this link
March 27, 2023
Book launch & signing | Politics & Prose bookstore, Washington, D.C.
Watch via C-Span2’s American History TV
March 23, 2023
Panelist | University Club, Washington, D.C.; “Still Blooming” luncheon discussion with presidential great-granddaughter Patricia H. Taft and author Ann McClellan; sponsored by National Cherry Blossom Festival
Feb. 27, 2023
Virtual talk | George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum, “Eliza Scidmore Beyond the Cherry Trees”
Watch the talk below or at this link
Earlier Events
April 7, 2021
Virtual talk on Eliza Scidmore, Washington Walks
July 31, 2018
Public lecture | Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
Read more
April 17, 2018
Teleconference briefing with staff at Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
March 1, 2017
Luncheon speaker | Ikebana International regional meeting, Alexandria, Va.
April 2, 2015
Program speaker | Journalism & Women’s Symposium (JAWS), National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
April 4, 2014
Classroom discussion with students in The Lab School’s Discovery Club, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 20, 2014
Luncheon speaker | Washington-Tokyo Women’s Club, Arlington, Va.
April 10, 2013
Presenter | Japan Cherry Blossom Association, Parliamentary Museum, Tokyo
April 7, 2013
Program speaker | Eliza Scidmore Cherry Blossom Society, Yokohama, Japan
March 7, 2013
Presenter | Women’s History Discussion Group, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
October 19, 2012
Panelist | 39th D.C. Historical Studies Conference, Washington, D.C., on centennial of city’s Japanese cherry trees
June 30, 2012 2012
Reader of work-in-progress, New Mercury Author Series, Baltimore, Md.
Gave luncheon talk at Cosmos Club in Washington on March 27, 2025, anniversary of first planting of cherry trees from Japan in 1912.
Met up with Valerie Ley Holley, best friend from our Catholic school days, at March 7, 2025, book signing in Marietta, Ohio, hosted by Teri Ann’s boutique.
With photographer Thomas Peschak, winner of National Geographic’s 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for excellence in storytelling; at Storytellers Summit in Washington on Feb. 13, 2025
Author discussion with Waterford House book club in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 16, 2024.
Rotary Club of Washington,D.C., is planting a tree in my honor, after I delivered a book talk to the club on Nov. 27, 2024.
Lunch & author discussion on Nov. 2, 2024, with members of the Lake Barcroft (Va.) book club, celebrating their 25th year
Street sign for author talk at Westover branch of Arlington (Va.) Library on Oct. 27, 2024
Book talk during afternoon tea with the Welcome to Washington International Club, March 12, 2024, at Hillwood Museum & Gardens.
Book talk to Marietta (Ohio) Garden Club, Oct. 17, 2023, with my sisters Karen and Cheryl and host Judy Piersall.
Author talk to Association of Oldest Inhabitants of Washington, D.C., on April 20, 2023.