I speak on topics ranging from sustainable creative practice to the craft of cross-genre writing/making to the Creative Spirit as a means of engaging what’s numinous in ourselves and in the world. My talks draw on close to three decades of teaching, five published books across multiple genres, and a sustained inquiry into what it means to make art without self-destructing.
Whether you need a keynote speaker, a craft talk, or a panelist who can engage honestly about the creative writing landscape, I bring both expertise and a commitment to meeting audiences where they are.
Speaking Topics
Secure Your Own Mask: Cultivating Sustainable Creative Practice
How do we build a relationship with our creative work that feeds us rather than depletes us? This talk explores:
- The process-to-product ratio
- Making things vs. producing them
- Building a practice that serves the Creative Spirit
- The gift economy and creative work (drawing on Lewis Hyde)
- Why “write what you know” might be the worst advice
Ideal for: Writing conferences, MFA residencies, literary festivals, arts organizations
Cross-Genre + Hybrid Writing
Some of the most exciting work today happens in the borderlands between poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. This talk examines:
- What makes hybrid writing work (and when it doesn’t)
- Reading work on its own terms
- Form as servant to intention, not constraint
- Examples from contemporary literature
- Practical strategies for writers working across genres
Ideal for: Writing conferences, university creative writing programs, literary organizations
The Creative Writing MFA Industrial Complex + Its Discontents
A frank, sometimes funny examination of creative writing education — what works, what’s broken, and what alternatives might exist. Topics include:
- The professionalization of creative writing
- Workshop culture and its shadow sides
- Teaching with consent and personal sovereignty
- Alternative models (low-residency, community-based, autodidactic)
- Building programs that don’t require self-destruction
Ideal for: Academic conferences, MFA programs, educational institutions, writers considering graduate school
The Creative Spirit & The Numinous
Creativity as a spiritual practice, a means of encountering what’s sacred and shadow in ourselves. This talk explores:
- Jung’s concept of the shadow and creative work
- Writing as contemplative practice
- The gift exchange (Lewis Hyde, Anthony Bourdain, Steve Jobs, Miranda July and others)
- Making art in an age of algorithmic recommendation
- Why necessity matters more than novelty
Ideal for: Retreats, contemplative education settings, arts + spirituality conferences
Teaching Creative Writing: Philosophy & Practice
For educators and program directors, a discussion of teaching methods grounded in personal sovereignty and consent:
- Reading student work on its own terms
- Building low-residency creative writing programs (especially at the high school level)
- Grading creative work without crushing the Creative Spirit
- Creating sustainable teaching practices
- Curriculum design that values process
Ideal for: Educational conferences, faculty development, teacher training programs
Craft Talks: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction
Focused discussions on specific craft elements in any genre:
- Poetry: Sound, image, form, voice, lineation, necessity
- Fiction: Character, plot, setting, POV, dialogue, emotional architecture
- Nonfiction: Structure, voice, research, the lyric essay, truth-telling
- Hybrid Forms: When and how to cross boundaries
Ideal for: MFA residencies, undergraduate creative writing courses, writing workshops
Authenticity for Your “Online Presence.” Yes, It’s a Thing. (I Think.)
Practical guidance on newsletters, websites, social media, and finding your people without losing your soul:
- Platform vs. presence
- Newsletter as creative practice
- WordPress, Substack, and other tools
- Growing an audience organically
- Maintaining boundaries in public-facing work
Ideal for: Writing conferences, professional development sessions, emerging writers
Format Options
- Keynote Addresses (45-60 minutes) Opening or closing talks for conferences and festivals
- Craft Talks (30-60 minutes) Focused presentations on specific topics, usually with Q&A
- Panel Discussions As moderator or participant on topics related to creative writing, teaching, publishing, or sustainable practice
- Workshops + Talks Combine a presentation with hands-on generative exercises (90 minutes to half-day)
- Readings + Craft Discussion Reading from my work followed by craft-focused Q&A
Delivery Options
- In-person: Available to travel anywhere (travel costs covered by host)
- Virtual: Via Zoom or your preferred platform
- Hybrid: Combination of in-person and virtual components
What Past Hosts Say
Coming soon…
Booking Information
- Standard speaking fee: $500-2,000 (depending on format, length, and organization type)
- Academic/nonprofit rate: Contact for pricing
- Travel costs: For in-person events, host covers airfare, lodging, and ground transportation
- Lead time: I typically need 4-6 weeks notice for scheduling, though I can sometimes accommodate shorter timelines
How to Book
Email me at tj@tjbman.me with:
- Event details (conference, reading series, academic program, etc.)
- Preferred topic or format
- Date(s) and timeline
- Expected audience size and demographics
- Budget range
- Format preference (in-person, virtual, hybrid)
I’ll respond within 2-3 business days with availability and a proposal.
Custom Topics
Have a specific need that doesn’t fit the topics above? I’m happy to develop custom presentations for your event. Topics I’ve explored in my Write Mindfulness newsletter and podcast include:
- Should you write for an audience or yourself?
- Take-offs and landings: what makes beginnings and endings work?
- How do you know when a poem is finished?
- Fictionalizing your life without it being boring autobiography
- Writing about family: ethics and aesthetics
- The role of revision in creative process
- Failure as generative force
Want to bring me to your next event? Email tj@tjbman.me and let’s start the conversation.