News & Press
Latest Updates
June 25, 2026 — Bruce and I loved meeting up with family member by marriage and proud newly minted member of DAR Charlotte Wilcher, when I gave the luncheon speech at the Virginia Congress of DAR in Washington. My biggest audience to date–with 400+ participants, and heavy book sales!
May 16, 2026 — I moderated a crowd-pleasing discussion at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on two new books about entrepreneurial American women who had a huge cultural impact. Here with Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, author of “Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free,” and Mary Lisa Gavenas, author of “Selling Opportunity: The Story of Mary Kay.”
April 23, 2026 — Fifty years in Washington and I’d never been inside the magnificent Daughters of the American Revolution building. Got my chance when I spoke to the executive council and others, including president Ginnie Storage (left) and local member Kerry Farley. Highly relevant talk in light of DAR’s gift of $2 million to support care and perpetuation of the flowering cherry trees that began with gift from Japan in 1912.
March 25, 2026 — Honored to lecture at Embassy of Japan‘s cultural center in Washington during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, when the trees were at peak bloom! I spoke on the long tradition of hanami (flower-viewing) in Japan and how it inspired Eliza’s Scidmore’s vision behind the cherry trees on the National Mall. My heavy use of gorgeous Japanese ukiyo-e prints was a big hit.
March 27, 2025 — It felt very special indeed to address members of the Cosmos Club in Washington on the 113th anniversary of the first planting of cherry trees from Japan along the Tidal Basin, an idea initiated by my bio subject Eliza Scidmore. She was the most important woman in the early history of the National Geographic Society, which was founded at the Cosmos Club in 1888.
February 13, 2025 — My book was a hot commodity at a reception of the National Geographic Society during its annual Storytellers Summit in Washington. I had a stellar moment with nature photographer Thomas Peschak, winner of National Geographic’s 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for excellence in storytelling.
November 27, 2024 — Rotary Club of Washington, D.C., made my day by announcing, after my luncheon talk, that they’ll plant a tree in my honor—probably a cherry tree!—under the group’s Trees for the Capital program, now in its 33rd year. I have a soft spot in my heart for Rotary, as recipient of a fellowship in which I spent a year in Cape Town in 1983.
April 15, 2024 — I’m honored at being named a finalist for the Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography & Memoir from Society of Midland Authors, which fosters literature in 12 states of the Midwest. I was proud to be recognized as a native of Ohio. See list of award winners here.
April 11, 2024 — Had great fun doing online talk on Eliza Scidmore’s interactions with half a dozen presidential administrations over half a century for White House History Happy Hour. Friend and fellow writer Jenny Rough rocked as moderator. Watch here
Media Coverage | Interviews | Book Reviews
November 20, 2025 — Podcast interview on Biographers in Conversation, with Dr. Gabriella Kelly-Davis. Listen to podcast here
December 2024 — Book review published by Washington History, journal of the Washington Historical Society. Read the review
July 18, 2024 — Interview with Sarah Bramao-Ramos for New Books Network podcast. Listen to podcast here
March 27, 2024 — TV feature by Japan’s NHK World. Watch and listen here
March 22, 2024 — Online article by Johns Hopkins Magazine. Read article
March 21, 2024 — Interview with Lauren Clarke of Immigration Nerds podcast. Listen here
March 18, 2024 — Interview with Kelly Therese Pollack for Unsung History podcast. Listen here
March 14, 2024 — “Book Review: Diana P. Parsell’s ‘Eliza Scidmore,’ ” by Patricia Leslie in Falls Church News Press. Read article
April 22, 2023 — Q&A blog interview with Deborah Kalb, Book Q&As Read here
April 10, 2023 — “What’s New Buff and Blue: The Origin of D.C.’s Cherry Blossoms,” podcast interview with Sarah Sachs of GWU Hatchet Read here
April 7, 2023 — Book review, American Journalism Article link
May 3, 2023 — “Local Author Uncovers Story of Woman Responsible for D.C.’s Cherry Blossoms,” American University’s Her Campus Read article
April 22, 2023 — “Eliza Scidmore and the Cherry Trees of Washington, D.C.,” C-Span2 American History TV (Politics & Prose talk on March 27, 2023) Watch via C-Span video
March 31, 2023 — “Hanami Spirit Blooms in Washington,” NHK World-Japan TV, with D.C. correspondent Hisaeda Wakako
March 30, 2023 — “The Woman Behind the Cherry Blossoms,” NBC’s “Today” Show, with White House correspondent Kristen Welker Watch program
Interview by the Tidal Basin with Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Today show, aired in March 2023.
March 30, 2023 — Book review, “Spring 2023 Reading List: The 4 Best Gardening Books,” Wall Street Journal Article link
March 29, 2023 — “Eliza Scidmore: Botanical Ambassador for Japan and Its Cherry Trees,” virtual talk for U.S. National Arboretum Watch the talk
March 28, 2023 — Radio commentary for “Make Me Smart” podcast, NPR Marketplace (segment begins around 20 mins into the piece) Listen to audio
March 28, 2023 — Q&A blog interview with women’s studies expert Pamela Toler, History in the Margins Read here
March 10, 2023 — Podcast interview with Lisa Napoli, Biographers International Organization (BIO) Listen to podcast
March 4, 2023 — “Marietta College alumna pens book,” Marietta (OH) Times and Parkersburg (WV) News & Sentinel Read article
March 2, 2023 — Q&A blog interview with D.C. historian Matthew Gilmore, Humanities-Net, DC Read here
March 1, 2023 — Book report by Lynne Lamberg, NASW/Advance Copy, National Association for the Advancement of Science Writing Read article
March 2023 — “One Woman’s Quest to Bring Cherry Blossoms to DC,” Washingtonian Read article
February 27, 2023 — Virtual talk for D.C. Mondays/GWU Museum and Textile Museum, “Eliza Scidmore Beyond the Cherry Trees” Watch the video
February 16, 2023 — Q&A blog interview with Paula Tarnapol Whitacre, Discovering Lives Read here
February 1, 2023 — Book review, Library Journal Article link
March 30, 2022 — Podcast interview with Jenny Rough for World Radio Listen to audio
October 23, 2020 — TV interview in Juneau for BBC2’s “Great American Railroad Journeys,” with host Michael Portillo (begins around 16 minutes ) Watch via Facebook
March 29, 2018 — Interviewed by scriptwriter Daniel Stashower for National Geographic Live! staged reading of Eliza Scidmore’s work Read more
March 18, 2017 — TV guest appearance on “Mystery Hunter” series, episode on cherry blossoms, Japan’s TBS TV Read more
February 2017 — Interviewed for National Geographic online article, “The Woman Who Shaped National Geographic” Read article
March 30, 2013 — Interviewed on book research in Yokohama and Tokyo for evening news program, Japan’s NHK TV Read more
March 13, 2012 — Interviewed for “Cherry Blossoms’ Champion, Eliza Scidmore, Led a Life of Adventure, Washington Post Read article
Book-Related Articles
“The American Woman Who Reported on Japan’s Entry Into World War I,” The Doughboy Foundation website, August 8, 2023
The Doughboy Foundation featured my article “The American Woman Who reported on WWI,” August 8, 2023.
Photo essay on Scidmore, GEO Magazine [in French], October 2020
“Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore” (people who knew John Muir), Sierra Club’s John Muir website, April 3, 2018
“From Early ‘Lady Writer,’ Washington Cherry Blossoms and a National Geographic Legacy,” National Geographic News blog, March 26, 2012 (updated in 2018)
“Eliza Scidmore, the Woman Behind the Planting of Washington’s Cherry Trees in 1912,” Viral History blog, March 28, 2012
Honors and Awards
2024 — Finalist for Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography and Memoir from the Society of Midland Authors.
2017 — Hazel Rowley Prize from Biographers International (BIO) for best proposal for first biography
2012 — Mayborn Fellowship in Biography, sponsored by University of North Texas and prize-winning biographer James McGrath Morris
Latest meetup with Japanese journalist Miki Ebara, who’s in Washington for filming during March 2026 cherry blossom blooming around the Tidal Basin.
At the Tidal Basin in Washington with Japanese TV reporter Miki Ebara, in October 2024. (Photo: Ralf Oberti)
During Washington’s cherry blossom season C-SPAN2 replayed the talk from my Politics & Prose book launch in March 2023.
At the Tidal Basin with NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker in March 2023, filming for NBC’s “Today” show. (Photo: Wakako Hisaeda)
Dominique Browning included my book in her list of “Spring 2023 Reading: The 4 Best Gardening Books,” in Wall Street Journal on March 30, 2023.
Interview in 2018 for BBC2 in Juneau, Alaska, with Michael Portillo of “Great American Railway Journeys.”
Receiving BIO Hazel Rowley Award from Gayle Feldman at BIO 2017 conference in Boston. (Photo: James McGrath Morris)