speaking

My talks draw from my many fields of expertise and interest, including mental health, positive psychology, writing, and art, and are a blend of the personal, the academic, and the entertaining. The result is talks that entertain and resonate deeply with my audience, and set the stage for their own further exploration. (Scroll down to see a few video clips.) (Click here to see photos from readings.)

Testimonials

“Dana Shavin’s presentation is chilling: she speaks of a life-threatening phenomenon that continues to deprive women of power and life. Eating disorders have become, sadly, de rigueur, and our pedagogical approach to the topic can sometimes be too clinical and somewhat disconnected. Dana breathed life into this important issue by generously sharing the harsh truths and exacting tolls anorexia extracts from the individual and our society. Most importantly, she showed how it is possible to turn personal tragedy into… triumph. My students were mesmerized and profoundly affected by her work and her words.” Tracye Pool, Senior Lecturer, UTC

“Dana Shavin understands eating disorders from the unique perspective of both a school psychologist and former sufferer. Her presentation at our university’s Psychology Colloquium series was very well received. Nicky Ozbek, Ph.D. ,Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

“Dana Shavin’s …many years of experience as a therapist, life coach, writer and artist give her tremendous credibility, and participants consistently give her high marks for wisdom, charm, wit and clarity. She’s a winner as a presenter.” Suzanne Fisher Staples, program director of The Gathering at Keystone College

If you are interested in having me speak, visit your book club, read, or lead a workshop, please contact me at [email protected]

Where I’ll be in 2023 (check back as dates are added):

January 18, The Chattery, Varieties of Publishing (class)
March 14, “My Journey to Publication” (presentation/Q&A), Edney Innovation Center
March 31, Author Reading, Mountain Arts Community Center, Signal Mtn., Tennessee. More info here.
April 8, “So You Want to be a Writer: Paths to Publication.” Mountain Arts Community Center, Signal Mtn., Tennessee. More info here.
April 29, Local Author Reading Fair
, Chattanooga Downtown Library.
May 26, Open mic at Barnes and Noble, 6:30-7:30pm
June 8, One hour, eight-author Zoom reading created by Kris Whorton, author of the poetry collection, Alchemy. Zoom link here
August 12, “So You Want to be a Writer: Where to Publish What you Write,” Dade County library, Trenton, GA
August 19,
“So You Want to be a Writer: Where to Publish What you Write,Chattanooga Bicentennial Library
September 9,”So You Want to be a Writer: Where to Publish What you Write,” Lafayette, GA Library
October 3, Chattanooga Little Theater, Reading in conjunction with local chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Below: Unity of Chattanooga, The Lure of the Light, the Lessons of the Dark

Below: Unity of Chattanooga, “The Truth About Your Happiness”

Below: Guest Facilitator, Hunter Museum Art + Issues Series, Nov.2013.

Below: Unity of Chattanooga, “A Jew with a Dog”

Where I was in: 

2022

February 2, Black Creek Reading Series, Part I (Host and reader)
March 3, Hickory Valley Retirement Center
March 11, WRCB Channel 3, Three Plus You
March 22, Black Creek Reading Series, Part II (Host and reader)
March 25, Garden Plaza
April 12, Covenant College, Intro to Creative Writing (sub)
April 13, It’s All Write, with Suzette Martinez Standrich
May 28, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Chattanooga, Featured Speaker for Mental Health Month
August 25, Stove Works, Southern Lit Association Author Reading
October 6, Guest author, Black Creek Book Club

Where I was in:

2020

October 29, Meacham Writers Workshop, Literary Nonfiction workshop, UTC
October 31, Meacham Writers Workshop, Reading, 2pm Dearthick Hall

2019 

January 26, Literary Nonfiction lecture and workshop, Chattanooga State
February 14, Reading at River City Sessions
March 10, Guest speaker, Christ Unity
March 15, Entepreneur Talk, Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
July 12-14, Memoir workshop presenter, The Gathering, Literature Conference of Keystone College, La Plume, PA, “We Are All Foreigners Here.”
September 7, Reading from Dinners with Friends, Chattanooga Readers and Writers Fair the Bicentennial Library

2018 

April 12, Reading at River City Sessions
June 20, Guest Writer on WUTC 88.1 Radio
June 23, Guest Essayist, Chattanooga Readers and Writers Fair, Chattanooga Bicentennial Library
September 19, Walker Prison, address to inmates, “Writing and Publishing” (closed discussion group)
November 8, Co-host of River City Sessions
Where I was in:

2017 

January 12, Reading at River City Sessions
March 6, Visiting Lecturer, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, “Intersectionality.”
July 14, Workshop Presenter, The Gathering, Literature Conference of Keystone College, La Plume, PA, “The Trouble with Brains.”
July 24 , Reading at Star Line Books
November 14, Reading, talk at Barnes and Noble, Hamilton Place Mall

2016

January 17, Guest Speaker, Christ Unity 
January 19, Guest Author at Lookout Mtn. Book Club
February 22, Guest on WRCB TV, Three Plus You (Eating Disorders Month)
March 5, Reading at Little Theatre (Visiting Author, Meacham Writer’s Worksop) 

March 3-5, Visiting Author, Meacham Writers’ Workshop
March 26, Local Author Saturday at Starline Books (book signing)
March 31, Guest on WGOW Talk Radio. Mental Health Hour with Jed Mescon
April 10, Guest Speaker, Unity of Chattanooga
April 29 Bowties and Blossoms Fundraiser, “The Shape of Things Misremembered 
May 22, Guest Speaker, Christ Unity
July 24, Guest Speaker, Christ Unity
December 3, Guest Speaker, Unity of Chattanooga

2015:

January 4,  Guest Speaker, Unity of Chattanooga. “Deconstructing Snoopy: The Truth About Your Happiness in 2015”
February 18, Reading, talk, Q&A in conjunction with Love Your Body Month, Jewish Family and Career Services, Atlanta, GA.
February 21, Reading, book signing, Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC, 11am

March 10, Reading, book signing, Charis Books, Atlanta, 7:30pm
March 29, Guest Speaker, Unity of Chattanooga. “Will You Still Love Me When I’m Not Famous?”
April 17, Featured Speaker, Bowties and Blossoms, The Church on Main, Chattanooga
April 26, Writers Read, NYC in conjunction with The Writers Studio at Sidewalk Cafe, NYC.
May 29, Guest on WGOW Talk Radio. Mental Health Hour with Jed Mescon
June 2, Guest on WRCB TV, Three Plus You
June 7, Guest Speaker, Unity of Chattanooga. “Lure of the Light, Lessons of the Dark”
July 13, Guest author at Signal Mountain book club
July 15, Workshop, Unity of Chattanooga, Naming the Beast, Taming the Beast
July 22, Workshop, Unity of Chattanooga, Living an Authentic Life
July 23 Guest on WGOW Talk Radio. Mental Health Hour with Jed Mescon
July 24 Guest on WRCB TV, Three Plus You
September 2, Guest on WRCB Three Plus You (Life Coaching)
September 5-7, Decatur Book Festival with Little Feather Books
September 27, Guest Speaker, Unity of Chattanooga, “Hey Judaism, You Talkin’ to ME?”
October 4, Unity of Blairsville, “A Jew With a Dog”
October 6,  Guest Author, Writers Village, Atlanta
October 27, Guest author at Lookout Mountain Book Club
November 2, Guest author at Chattanooga book club
December 1, Guest author at Signal Mountain Book Club

2014

January 26, Guest Speaker, Unitarian Universalist Church, Chattanooga. “Hope, Despair, and the Wisdom of the Catfish”
May 2, Reading at The Camp House in conjunction with River City  Sessions, 1427 Williams St., Chattanooga, Tenn.
July 20, Workshop Leader, The Gathering, Literature Conference of Keystone College, La Plume, PA. The Scariest Thing in Life is Life.”
August 10, Guest Speaker, Unity Church of Chattanooga,  WATCH IT HERE:  A  Jew and a Dog Walk Into a Bar
August 17, Guest Speaker, Unitarian Universalist Church, Chattanooga, “Moon Schmoon: The Agony of Fulfillment.”
June 27, 2014, Interview with Erika Funke of Artscene, Scanton PA Public Radio. HEAR IT HERE: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/artscene-with-erika-funke/e/dana-shavin-june-27-2014-34654996
October 10, Book Launch, signing for The Body Tourist, at The Camp House, 1427 Williams St. Chattanooga, Tenn.
October 30, Interview with KMSU Weekly Reader, Minnesota State University radio.
November 13, Reading, Q & A and signing for The Body Tourist at the Chattanooga  Jewish Cultural Center.
November 25, Live radio interview with Dennis Price of Radio Hotline, Fairfax, VA.
December 3, Guest speaker, First Baptist Church of Chattanooga.
December 12, Reading in conjunction with River City Sessions, The Camp House, 1427 Williams St. Chattanooga.
December 28 (RESCHEDULED FOR JAN. 4, 2015), Guest Speaker, Unity Church of Chattanooga.

December 2014, Interview with Dennis Price of Radio Fairfax HEAR IT HERE: http://photographybydennisprice.weebly.com/radio-hotline.html

A listing of previous speeches, readings, and panel discussions. Click on links to read transcript.
2013

January 26,  Guest Speaker, Unitarian Universalist Church, Chattanooga. READ IT HERE: “The Weight of our Transitions
February 19, Women’s Studies Spring 2013 Speaker’s Series, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). “Anorexia’s Noble Heart: Illness as Illness and Cure.”
May 16 Guest Speaker, River City Writers Club, Chattanooga. July 18-21
Workshop Leader, The Gathering, Literature Conference of Keystone College, La Plume, PA. “Naming the Beast, Taming the Beast.”
October 11, Guest Reader, River City Sessions, The Camp House, Chattanooga.
November 7, Art+Issues Speaker Series, Hunter Museum, Chattanooga. “Observing Ourselves, Observing Observation.” (photo above)
2012
March 29, Meacham Writer’s Workshop,  at H’art Gallery, Main St. Chattanooga.

April 1, Guest Speaker, Unitarian Universalist Church, Chattanooga. READ IT HERE: “Extremely Lousy and Incredibly Closed: Who Would You Be Without Your Story?
April 10, University of Tennessee (UTC) Reading from The Body Tourist.
July 21, Panelist, The Gathering, Literary Conference of Keystone College, “What We Believe, Why We Write.”
2011
Guest Speaker, Unitarian Universalist Church, Chattanooga. “Reflections on an Incorrect Faith.”