Diana Parsell

Author Talks

As author of the first-ever biography of the 19th-century woman travel writer behind Washington’s Japanese cherry trees, I’ve delivered talks on the subject to a wide range of audiences at bookstores and libraries, historical societies and professional organizations. A popular feature of my presentations is my lavish use of evocative historical images to tell the story. I’ve customized talks to emphasize topics such as Gilded Age globetrotting, the history and symbolism of Japanese cherry blossoms, and Scidmore’s botanical interests.

I’ve honed my public-speaking skills as a volunteer docent for public tours of the Library of Congress, where I did much of the research for my book, and as a member of the Capital Speakers Club. See sample presentations on the Events page of this website. My work has been featured by major outlets such as  NBC’s “Today” show, C-Span, BBC2 and Japan’s NHK network, as well as in guest interviews on many podcasts. See the News & Press page for media coverage.

Book Clubs

I’ve met, in person and virtually, with many book clubs that have read my biography of Eliza Scidmore. Members have praised the book for its ability to provoke stimulating conversation on topics such women’s advancement, globetrotting travel, the development of modern Washington and U.S. global outreach in the dynamic period from America’s Gilded Age to World War I.

See links on this website to a Discussion Guide on the book and an Author Q&A.

Craft Workshops

In a long editorial career I’ve led a variety of classes and workshops on nonfiction writing and editing. I presented my  latest workshop, “Shaping Your Book of Narrative Nonfiction,” at the New York conference of Biographers International Organization and the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Md.

---

To discuss a possible talk or workshop, contact me here.

---

Testimonials

“The Asian American Forum sends a heartfelt thank you for a wonderful presentation. It was timely, informative, and also lots of fun. I have heard from many people, some saying it was the best talk that our group has ever presented. How’s that for a nice compliment?”
— Molly Spitzer Frost, Asian American Forum in Washingon, D.C.

“Thank you so much for the outstanding presentation you made today to members of Welcome to Washington! I heard so many wonderful comments about it from those who attended. Eliza was clearly an exceptional woman, and you did such a great job in telling her story. It was fascinating to hear what you had to do to research source material.”
— Judy Page, Welcome to Washington International Club at Hillwood Museum

“Our conversation with you has been the talk of the town this afternoon in Glacier Bay headquarters. …  The fact that we went from thinking, ‘Eliza must have just been some wealthy heiress,’ to now knowing that she was a world-traveled, independent, indefatigable start-up, reminds me of the power of research to unearth voices of forgotten figures.”
— Caitlin Campbell, park ranger at Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for your presentation! It was SO interesting—everyone in attendance was raving about it.”
— Lesley Tourigny, AAUW-VA Northern District,

“It was inspirational to hear you speak, and your research was amazing. … We learned so much history in the story of this woman who lived beyond the expectations of her time. I can’t remember so much discussion and no distraction to other things when we met to discuss your book.”
— Linda Sours, book club moderator in Grand Junction, Col.

“The workshop was amazing and extremely helpful. It made me rethink the structure of my book. Not only was [the instructor] knowledgeable on the topic, but she was able to speak to all with different book ideas so the class was useful to everyone.”
— Francise Dyson, participant in “Shaping Your Book of Narrative Nonfiction”