Events
Upcoming Events (2026)
March 21 | 2:00 p.m.
Author talk & book signing, AAUW Fredericksburg (Va.) Branch
University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg Campus, Combs 139
PUBLIC EVENT
Details here
March 25 | 6:30 p.m.
Public lecture, Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
1150 18th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
PUBLIC EVENT
Details and registration
March 29 | 10:00
Author discussion, Read & Run, Washington, D.C.
PUBLIC EVENT
Details and registration
April 9 | 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Online talk, “Cherry Blossoms: From Ancient Japan to Washington, D.C.”
Politics & Prose bookstore, Washington, D.C.
PUBLIC EVENT
Details and registration
April 21 | 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Author talk on researching and writing a biography
Marietta College Institute of Learning in Retirement, Marietta, Ohio
PUBLIC EVENT
Details and registration
April 23 | 6:00 p.m. (private reception)
Lecture & book signing, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
National Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
May 9
Author talk for private luncheon, Waterford House, Arlington, Va.
May 16
Panel moderator at Gaithersburg Book Festival. Md.
In conversation with biographers Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson and Mary Lisa Gavenas
PUBLIC EVENT
Watch for details here
Recent Events (2026)
March 15
Author talk & book signing | Barnes & Noble Georgetown
March 11
Author talk & book signing | Antiques Study Group, Chevy Chase, Md.
March 10
Luncheon talk | ExxonMobil Spouses Club, Tysons Corner, Va.
March 5
Author talk & book signing | Yacht Haven Garden Club, Alexandria, Va.
February 11
Author talk & book signing | Northern Virginia Antique Arts Association, Alexandria, VA
February 9
Author talk & book signing | Laurel Garden Club, Springfield, VA
January 7, 2026
Author talk & book signing | New Annapolitans Women’s Group, Edgewater, Md.
Past Events (2025)
November 6
Author talk | Asbury Methodist Village, Gaithersburg, Md.
September 11
Author talk & book signing | Chapel Square Garden Club, Annandale, VA
May 5
Author talk & book signing | Philanthropic Educational Organization, Springfield, Va.
April 29
Author talk & book signing | Dupont Circle Village Soup Salon, Washington, D.C.
April 22
Public lecture | Alexandria Historical Society, The Lyceum, Alexandria, Va.
April 22
Book talk (virtual) | D.C. Women’s ProVisors networking group
April 17
Author talk & book signing | AAUW-Alexandria/Mt. Vernon
Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, Va.
April 9
Author talk & book signing | Arlington Retired Teachers Association,
Arlington, Va.
April 8
Author talk & book signing | National Capital Garden Clubs,
National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.
April 5
Luncheon speaker | National Society Daughters of the American Revolution,
Chevy Chase, Md.
March 27
Luncheon speaker | Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.
March 26
Staff briefing | National Geographic Society, Washington, DC
March 20
Author talk | Ox Bow Brewery in Ashburn, Va., with Natalie Jacobsen,
author of the YA novel Ghost Train
March 14
Author talk & book signing | Woodlands Retirement Community, Fairfax, Virginia
March 12
Author talk & book signing | Arlington Neighborhood Book Club
March 7
Book signing | First Friday open house in downtown Marietta, Ohio, hosted by Teri Ann’s boutique
February 13
Guest appearance | National Geographic Storyteller’s Summit, Eliza Scidmore Storytelling Award
February 6
Author talk (virtual) | Clifton Community Women’s Club, Fairfax Station, Va.
Past Events (2024)
December 16
Evening book discussion | Waterford House Book Club, Arlington, Va.
November 27
Luncheon talk | Rotary Club of Washington, D.C., University Club
November 2
Lunchtime book discussion | Lake Barcroft Book Club, Falls Church, Va.
October 27
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
In discussion on Meiji Japan with author Natalie Jacobsen, author of Ghost Train
People’s Book, Takoma Park, Md.
September 16
Program speaker | AAUW—Arlington Branch, Arlington, Va.
September 12
In discussion with Sara Fitzgerald, author of The Silenced Muse
One More Page Books, Arlington, Va.
September 10
Program speaker | Professional Educational Opportunities, Falls Church, Va.
July 25
Author discussion & lunch | Northwest Washington Book Club, at Inn at Glen Echo, Md.
July 18
Virtual interview | New Books Network podcast with Sarah Bramao-Ramos
Listen to podcast here
May 8
Author discussion & lunch | Book group in McLean, Va., at Army-Navy Club, Arlington, Va.
April 11
Virtual talk | White House Historical Association, History Happy Hour
See below or watch on YouTube at this link
April 6
Book talk & signing | Arlington County Library, Cherrydale Branch, Arlington, Va.
March 26
Program speaker | Woman’s National Democratic Club, Washington, D.C.
March 24
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
Program speaker | Asian-American Forum, Kenwood Country Club, Bethesda, Md.
March 21
Podcast interview | Immigration Nerds podcast with host Lauren Clarke
March 20
Book talk & signing | Montgomery County Library, Wheaton Branch, Silver Spring, Md.
March 18
Podcast interview | Unsung History podcast with Kelley Therese Pollack
March 13
Program speaker | Capital Speakers Club, Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Md.
March 12
Book talk & signing | Washington International Club, Hillwood Museum, Washington, D.C.
March 9
Book talk & signing | AAUW-Northern Va. District, Alexandria Library, Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch
March 5
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
Book talk & signing | Colonial Dames of Washington, Abner Cloud House, Washington, D.C.
Past Events (2023)
December 16
Author event | Takoma Park Book Fair, Busboys & Poets bookstore, Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.
November 4
Workshop presenter | “Shaping Your Book of Narrative Nonfiction,” The Writer’s Center, Bethesda, Md.
October 27
Author meet & greet | American Association of University Women, McLean (Va.) Branch
October 17
Book talk & signing | Marietta Garden Club, Betsey Mills Club, Marietta, Ohio
June 4
Book talk & signing | The Fountains of Hilltop and local book club, Grand Junction, Col.
May 21
Workshop presenter | “Structuring and Revising Your Manuscript,” Biographers International Organization (BIO) conference in New York
May 13
Panelist | Washington Writers Conference, “Women’s Voices Across Genres”
May 11
Virtual talk | Japan America Society of Chicago
April 20
Book talk & signing | Association of Oldest Inhabitants in Washington, D.C.
Watch on YouTube at this link
April 15
Book talk & signing | Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, Va
April 5
Book talk & signing | American News Women’s Club, Washington, D.C.
March 30
Guest presenter | Trust for the National Mall donor reception, Washington, D.C.
March 29
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
Book launch & signing | Politics & Prose bookstore, Washington, D.C.
Watch via C-Span2’s American History TV
March 23
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
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.