Summer 2009 News
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It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy - a perfect time to enjoy the melody and romance of Darryl Tookes. Venture, kind readers, into web world and visit www.youtube.com, enter Darryl Tookes in the search box, and click on New England Morning. When the song is over, you may find your own vision of the world has been gently set right. If you’d like to hear more, stay on You Tube, click on Darryl Tookes in Performance. Then for a dreamy adventure, click on Elephant in the Room. Intrigued and want to hear more, go to www.myspace.com, click on Darryl Tookes. Relax into the sweet jazz sound of the Darryl Tookes Band. Envision inviting Darryl into your home for an evening of "parlor/soirée entertainment" or for a special public event. Your guests or audience will thank you! Please give us a call and we’d be happy to accommodate. We are delighted to bring to your attention Gigi Guthrie. If you suffer from or are taking care of someone who has Lyme disease, Gigi’s book and talk Chronic Lyme Disease: Ways to Outsmart A Smart Disease will fill you with information and hope. The value of inviting Gigi Guthrie to speak to your library, hospital, Chamber of Commerce, company or organization is that you will be in dialogue with someone who has walked and fought - and is walking and fighting - the chronic Lyme disease fight. Gigi is an intelligent and skilled woman, who also happens to be a gentle soul and lovely person. "Always remember," she says, "Chronic Lyme disease is treatable!" Good news from TBE Press! We will be publishing by August in e-book format an updated, second edition of Evan Weiner’s The Business and Politics of Sports. Sports management, public policy, business and law professors across the country have successfully been using Evan’s book for case studies and class discussion. Evan is an award-winning journalist who is among a very small number of people who cover the politics and business of sports and how that relationship affects not only sports fans but the non-sports fan as well. His most recent talk, “The Presidency and Sports,” is a real fascinator. Over the decades presidents have made decisions, usually unknown to the general public, that have imposed long reaching effects on sports. To read Evan’s most recent columns, please go to www.mcnsports.com. We went into New York City in April to see Bartlett Sher’s splendid production of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. With front row balcony seats, our eyes feasted on the Belasco Theatre’s ornate ceiling, murals, velour drapes and chandeliers. If you love theatre, wonderful old theatres, and informed theatre talk, consider inviting Reagan Fletcher to give one of his fabulous presentations on the Shubert Theatres and 100 Years of Broadway. Speaking of theatrical presentations and history, New Orleans poet Brenda Marie Osbey’s poetry readings, as well as her talks about the history of New Orleans and the Faubourg Tremé are spellbinding! A recent sponsor called to tell us not only was Brenda Marie’s presentation exactly what they’d hoped for, but also that Brenda Marie was so charming and outgoing. As a result of our currently slower economy, we are hearing some fascinating upbeat news. With so many people staying closer to home, street fairs and special event days that bring in family friendly, entertaining and reasonably priced performers are experiencing larger than ever audiences. Without reservation we happily recommend The Harlem Rockets, Richard Aldorasi’s "Create Your Own Silk Scarf," and Ben Model and Bruce Lawton’s Silent Movies. The Harlem Rockets can perform on an outdoor court or in an indoor gym. Children and adults have a blast watching the Rockets’ comedy basketball and children never forget when they are asked to join the team on court. On a summer’s day, people line up to make their own silk scarves with the help of the knowledgeable and ever friendly Richard Aldorasi. Imagine in the town where you live an old warehouse, brick or concrete wall, even a large movie screen in front of which you could line up several rows of chairs. Further envision the laughter and delight of watching Silent Movies accompanied by live piano. Ben Model and Bruce Lawton’s collection of silent movies will tantalize you with a cornucopia of programming ideas for either a one-night or a weeklong celebration of silent movies. Never underestimate the value of an outstanding promotional mailing! Recently we received from Michel Néray information on his Essential Message programs. Wow! We called and spoke for an hour-and-a-half. Michel understands that when you are so talented and skilled at something, you don’t even realize you are doing it. It just comes naturally. That’s your Essential Message. It’s easy to ask the question, "What makes you different?" But, how easy is it for you to come up with an answer that truly sets you apart? Your Essential Message is the most compelling thing about your business. It would make anyone want to do business with you, if only you could tell him or her what it is. Companies, small businesses and entrepreneurs working with Michel have seen their sales double, triple, even quadruple. We’d love to help you arrange a keynote, breakaway or residency with Michel Néray. Rarely do we have the opportunity to meet up in person with Walter Bond. He’s in Minnesota and we’re in Connecticut. Fortunately, early in June, Walter was doing a breakfast presentation for the New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council. Walter woke everybody up with an engaging and insightful talk on connecting with customers. Walter Bond understands human nature, hard work, being accountable—and keeps things moving with his very funny, naturally wry sense of humor. With admiration we’ve watched Walter’s career grow over the past ten years and he has become an accomplished and skilled speaker whose insights about success are valuable and worthwhile. If you are looking for a book that is ideal for fourth to eighth grade, or at risk readers, we’d like to suggest a solution. Ernest J. Gaines wrote a short story entitled "The Sky Is Gray" in which an eight-year old boy and his mother walk to town on a freezing rainy, Louisiana wintry day in the mid-1940s so that he can have his tooth pulled. Similar to other writings by Mr. Gaines, a major theme is "what it means to be a man." We have recently come into possession of several hundred reprints of "The Sky Is Gray" as a 32-page, stand-alone book. We’d love to talk with you about "The Sky Is Gray." Day in and day out parents and children make dumb and possibly dangerous assumptions about social networks on the web such as, My Space, Face book and You Tube. Tim Hillman can help parents, teenagers, and pre-adolescents learn how to make safe and good decisions when they traverse the exciting World Wide Web! |