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Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

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Alex Poppe

Author
Lecture Topics: Literature & Writing, Miscellaneous
Expertise: Writing
Available for in-person lectures in: Chicago
Available via Zoom?: Yes
To book Alex, e-mail: dan@primetimepresenters.com, or fill out this form here.

Having worked in conflict zones such as Iraq, the West Bank, and Ukraine, Alex Poppe depicts fierce and funny women rebuilding their lives in the wake of violence. She is the award-winning author of four books of literary fiction and the USA TODAY bestselling Breakfast Wine, a memoir-in essays about her wild ride through Iraq, recently named a first runner-up for the Eyelands Book Awards and a finalist for the Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year and the American Writing Awards. Alex’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Literary Hub, HuffPost, and Informed Comment.

This was incredibly interesting & his communication was excellent. Can’t thank you enough for offering this – remarkable & quite an education – bits of advice we can all use day to day.

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

I could have listened to him for at least another hour. It was a fascinating presentation!

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

Speaker was great! Presentation thoughtfully included enough time at the end for questions, which enhanced the presentation with additional information. Thank you for thinking of such an intriguing topic in the series!

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

This was one of the best programs you have had. I think you said programs are not taped, but I think you would have given this one a A+++.

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

I can’t give enough stars. This was wonderful and the questions were thoughtful and answered with the grace and ease of a wonderful presenter.

Parker Life Senior Living attendee after Mark’s “Let’s Put On A Show” lecture

I thought this program was very interesting. I enjoy my local theater and never knew or even imagined all the ins and outs of putting on a show. I would definitely be interested in any other program by this presenter.”

Parker Life Senior Living attendee after Mark’s “Let’s Put On A Show” lecture

“James Calaski’s lecture on national, regional, and hyper-local history was professional and highly informative. Our patrons were incredibly engaged, the delivery was well-paced and articulate… We’ll be having him back!”

Brianne Colombo
Director
Glen Rock, NJ Public Library

“Your knowledge of the German American Bund and their history is second to none… Your expertise, both from a historical and research perspective and also in the field, enabled us to capture phenomenal footage for our project… thank you for appearing in our film.”

Annette Baumeister
Documentary Film Director ('The American Führer')

“James Calaski’s gifts as a historian, coupled with his innate skills as a police detective, bring a unique perspective to his work. He is thorough in his research, always going to those places where the facts lead. All that, plus Jim’s personable style and good sense of humor make him an ideal presenter for any group event.”

Arnie Bernstein
Author of 'Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund'

FANTASTIC !!! She is an incredible lecturer. Only wish more time could have been spent on each segment of her presentation. Left me wishing for more. The blend of history and literature was so interesting and informative.

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee after Myra’s American Dreams: The Immigrant Experience In US Literature lecture
Lectures
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What Stories Can Do: From NYC Actor To USAID Strategic Communications Advisor By Way Of Iraq

This lecture traces how the power of stories, chance encounters, and embracing risk transformed Alex Poppe’s life. She spent nearly a decade in northern Iraq, teaching and volunteering in humanitarian response. American audiences understand Iraq primarily through the lens of war and geopolitical abstraction. The heart of this talk depicts the specific, complicated, funny, heartbreaking, and deeply human stories of the people with whom Alex worked; stories that rarely make it into mainstream media, US television shows, or US films. In our current polarized political moment, these are essential stories.

USAID: What We Lost And What The Future Holds

Alex Poppe is a daughter of a refugee. After teaching in Iraq for almost a decade, she led communications for humanitarian aid and peacebuilding organizations before landing at USAID’s Democracy Delivers Initiative. The dismantling of USAID is a dismantling of soft power abroad. In this lecture, Ms. Poppe discusses the geostrategic importance of the Democracy Delivers Initiative, why it was established, what it accomplished, and what its closure means for the future of US security and prosperity.

Humanizing Conflict: Personal Stories From The Battlegrounds Of Ukraine, The West Bank, And Iraq

Alex Poppe has taught in conflict, post-conflict, and developing contexts such as Iraq, the West Bank and Ukraine. Women and youth bare the brunt of violent conflict, yet they are seldom involved in the decision-making to engage in war. This lecture highlights stories from the people living the day-to-day of conflict in Iraq, the West Bank, and Ukraine.

The Situation And The Story: Writing Memoir

Our lived experiences hold merit as a historical and personal record of the world in which we live. Alex Poppe is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the memoir Breakfast Wine: A Memoir of Chasing an Unconventional Life and Finding a Way Home. In this lecture, she will explain how to write personal stories that resonate beyond friends and family. Lecture participants will learn the difference between the situation and the story and leave with generative exercises they can try at home if they desire.

Are you ready to bring Primetime Presenters to your community?

Please e-mail dan@primetimepresenters.com for additional information. We look forward to hearing from you!
dan@primetimepresenters.com