Winner, 2012 Connecticut Writers and Publishers Association Writing Contest: 1st Prize, Essay
Winner, 2013 Connecticut Writers and Publishers Association Writing Contest: 2nd Prize, Essay

Member-Connecticut Authors & Publishers Association (served on board)
Member - Unitarian-Universalist Society:East (served on board and in many capacities)
Member - Emily Dickinson International Society
Board Member, 2013- Little Theatre of Manchester

SELECTED EVENTS 2013 August 29, Summer Author Exposition, Torrington; June 24, "Poets Kay Ryan & Richard Blanco," Southington Public Library; May 15, Lecture/Discussion, "You Can't Take It With You," Little Theatre of Manchester; April 8,Lecture/Discussion, "Robert Frost: Fire And Ice," Middlesex Community College, Middlesex Institute of Lifelong Learning;March 13,Lecture/ Discussion, "Our Town," Little Theatre of Manchester. Feb. 16 Ct. Authors and Publishers Assoc. meeting, Avon: "Writing From Your Life.: March 8: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UConn Waterbury, "Emily Dickinson: Her Life & Work" April 18: Middlesex Institute for Lifelong Learning, "Robert Frost" SELECTED EVENTS 2012 Sept.-Dec.: "Victorian Secrets: Four English Novels", Hagaman Public Library, East Haven CT. Sept. 20&27: "Writing from Your Life," South Windosr Public Library. May 12: "Writing from Your Life", CAPA Univ., Ct. Authors & Publisher's Assoc., Hartford. April 23: "Emily Dickinson", Middlesex Institute for Lifelong Learning," Middletown. March 7, "Broadway in the 50s", Little Theatre of Manchester. Feb.-April: "Literature & Medicine," 6-part series, Goodwin College, East Hartford SELECTED EVENTS 2011 July 31 Panel, Emily Dickinson Intl. Society Annual Meeting, Amherst MA May 20 Book Discussion: LETTERS TO A TEACHER, West Hartford Public Library May 9 Discussing Memoir Writing, S/E Ct. Authors and publishers Association March 21 Book Disc. Leader, BILLY BOYLE, Harwinton CT Public Library; March 24 Book Disc. Leader, THE HELP, Cromwell CT Public Library; April 24, Book Disc. Leader, A DEATH IN THE FAMILY, McAuley, W. Hartford April 29 Book Disc. Leader, STONES INTO SCHOOLS, UUS:East, Manchester CT; May 20, Book Disc. Leader, LETTERS TO A TEACHER, W. Hartford CT Public Library; May 29, "Maintaining A Sense Of Wonder" lay-led service at UUS:East, Manchester CT October 24,Presenter/Discussion Leader: "Langston Hughes And The American Dream" Middlesex Community College, Middletown CT. OTHER EVENTS 2011 May 7, Ct. Forum, Bushnell Center, READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN 2010 May 9, "Writing from Your Life," Ct. Authors & Pub. Assoc., S/W Chapter; December 12 Reading/Signing for FROM MY LIFE ON DECEMBER 1 P.M. at the Unitarian-Universalist Society:,153 W. Vernon St., Manchester CT 12/27/10"Love In The Time of Cholera," McAuley retirement community, West Hartford CT; Oct. 2010-Feb. 2011 "Literature And Medicine," Mid-State Medical Center, Meriden CT; Nov. 9, 2010 "The Glass Castle," Cromwell Public Library, Cromwell CT; Oct. 27, 2010 "Song Of The Lark," McAuley retirement community, West Hartford CT Jan. 19, 2010, "Langston Hughes," Unitarian-Universalist Society: East, Manchester CT EVENTS, 2009 LITERATURE FOR A LIFETIME (Ct.Humanities Council): Book discussion, Three Cups of Tea, Cromwell Public Library, March 25, 2010, 7 p.m. LITERATURE FOR A LIFETIME (Connecticut Humanities Council) Four American Poets, Part II: Wallingford Public Library: Robert Frost, 1/13, 2-3:30 p.m.; Langston Hughes, 1/20, 7-8 p.m.; Elizabeth Bishop, 1/27, 2-3:30 p.m.; Rita Dove, 2/3, 7-8:30 p.m. Ct. Humanities Council Book Discussion of Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, Portland Public Library, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m. LITERATURE FOR A LIFETIME (Connecticut Humanities Council), Trumbull Public Library, Sundays at 2 p.m: Walt Whitman, March 22; Emily Dickinson, April 5; Billy Collins, April 19; Mary Oliver, April 26 Life-Span Religious Educaton Series. Unitarian-Universalist Society, Manchester Connecticut. Co-leader, three sessions on three writers, emphazing U-U values: Henry David Thoreau, September 29 Mary Oliver, October 13 Emily Dickinson, October 27 2010 UUS:E Life-Span Religious Education Series Langston Hughes. Hughes’ poetry greatly influenced the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we celebrate that week. Join facilitator David Garnes as we explore Hughes in the context of Unitarian-Universalist values and principles. PAST EVENTS, 2008 LITERATURE FOR A LIFETIME (Connecticut Humanities Council) book discusions January 6: BILLY BOYLE, by James Benn, Cromwell Public Library, 7-8:30 p.m. January-March: AMERICAN POETS DISCUSSION SERIES - All at the Wallingford Public Library, 2-3:30 p.m. January 22 - WALT WHITMAN February 5 - EMILY DICKINSON February 19 - BILLY COLLINS March 4 - MARY OLIVER April 17 - Wallingford Public Library - discussion/reading/signing of my book AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER: POEMS OF AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD. April 10 - Southington Public Library - ATONEMENT October 14 - Windsor Public Library -GIRLS OF TENDER AGE