Padma Venkatraman

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Requested honorarium

$ 1000 + expenses (travel, room, board). FLEXIBLE.

- Willingness to travel

Willing

- Target age/ grade level range of audience

Pre-K to Adult!

- Maximum number of presentations per day

No limit, though 7 per day is a suggested maximum.

- Preferred audience size

No maximum or minimum. I’ve lectured to auditoriums filled with undergrads and done one-on-one work with graduate students.

- Desired equipment for presentations

Would like to have a laptop and powerpoint projector, if possible, and/or an overhead projector if available, but this is not required, I can do without if necessary.

- Synopsis of presentations

For Teachers:
• Readings from Climbing the Stairs followed by a seminar on Bringing History Alive in the classroom
• Readings from Climbing the Stairs followed by a seminar on Building Bridges: Sparking student interest in Multicultural books
• Readings from Mathematwist combined with a seminar on Communicating the Magic of Mathematics

For University Groups readings from CLIMBING THE STAIRS may be combined with a seminar on:
• Indian themes in literature: the myth and the reality
• Multicultural Young Adult Literature
• Perspectives on the teenage experience: growing up outside the United States
• International Children’s Fiction
• Indian religion and culture in fiction and nonfiction
• Indian culture
• Judaism in India
• Nonviolence: a viable path?
• Writing children’s books – an author’s journey

For Book Clubs, readings from CLIMBING THE STAIRS may be followed by a book discussion on:
India, Hinduism, Buddhism, International Children’s Fiction, Multicultural Young Adult Literature, Indian Authors, Hinduism, Judaism in India, Nonviolence, India, An international perspective on the teenage experience, Breaking into print
A typical school visit could include
• readings for grades 1-2 from the author’s Amazing Animal Kingdom series + singing and drawing activities
• readings for grades 3-5 from The Albertosaurus Mystery: Philip Currie’s Hunt in the Badlands + hands-on science activities
• readings for grades 4-7 from Mathematwist: Number Tales from around the world + multicultural math activities with curricular tie-ins (such as place value, permutations and combinations, magic squares, infinity, power series, the four basic operations, volume)
• readings for grades 4-7 from The Forbidden Temple: Stories from the Past + multicultural craft or cooking activities + history curriculum links (ancient civilizations, Alexander, World War II, British colonialism, the Revolutionary War)
• readings for high school classes from Double Stars: The Story of Caroline Herschel + a discussion about female scientists
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs + a discussion on the Civil Rights Movement
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs + a discussion on World War II
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs + a discussion on current affairs (America’s place in the world, Iraq, Afghanistan)
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs+ a discussion on Indian culture, Indian literature or the Indian immigrant experience
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs+ a discussion on Women’s rights
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs+ perspectives on the teen experience – growing up at different times in different places
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs+ a workshop on how to do research for a novel
• readings for high school classes from Climbing the Stairs+ a workshop on careers in writing
• readings from Climbing the Stairs + a seminar on careers in oceanography or the sciences or women in the sciences for middle or high school age groups

Writing Workshop s for all age groups:
• Show, don’t tell Editors often tell writers to show, rather than tell. This workshop will show writers what those words mean. We begin with a presentation that provides examples of paragraphs that show, do some hands-on exercises to differentiate between the two modes and convert “telling” into “showing”. We end with a group discussion on how to hone this skill.
• Writing your lifestory
• Breaking into print Tips on breaking into print and becoming a published author
• Signing on with an agent The pros and cons of having an agent, and how to go about finding an agent that fits your needs
• Writing a cover letter Every submission to an agent or editor must be accompanied by a cover letter. We will discuss what a cover letter should and should not say, and explore examples. Participants will have an opportunity to write the first draft of a cover letter. There will be time for a question and answer session. Feedback on individual cover letters can be provided if there is sufficient time

Residencies and Virtual visits/residencies are also possible – contact the author for details

- Current contact information

Ph: 401 294 4757 Email: padmatvenkatraman@jhu.edu , padma@ureach.com
Website: www.cliofindia.com/padma

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