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Author Talk: ‘Spell Freedom’
Award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author ELAINE WEISS shares the story of four activists whose audacious plan to restore voting rights to Black Americans laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement, following her book Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement. In the vein of Hidden Figures and Devil in the Grove, Spell Freedom is both a riveting, crucially important lens onto our past, and a deeply moving story for our present.
Author Talk: ‘The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote’
Inspired by her highly acclaimed book The Woman’s Hour, author and historian ELAINE WEISS offers an engaging and empowering illustrated presentation about American women’s long battle to win equal legal rights and voting rights, based upon her book, which was hailed as “riveting, nail-biting political thriller” with powerful parallels to today’s political environment. Touching upon timely themes of gender and race, political power, representation, and women’s rights, Weiss offers audiences a deeper understanding of the challenges we continue to face in protecting our nation’s democracy.
Women, Voting, & The Power of Civic Engagement
Award-winning journalist and author ELAINE WEISS illuminates the history of the American women’s long fight to win their legal rights, including the right to vote. Exploring the courage and strategic genius – as well as the mistakes and moral compromises – of the three generations of grassroots activists who challenged societal norms and religious traditions to demand, and win, their civil rights. The protest methods would be adopted by the civil rights movements to follow in the 20th century. Weiss’ presentation celebrated the power of civic engagement and citizen activism, drawing parallels from the past to the present.
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A book talk on Elaine Weiss’s Spell Freedom is both a riveting, crucially important lens onto our past, and a deeply moving story for our present
Award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author ELAINE WEISS shares the story of four activists whose audacious plan to restore voting rights to Black Americans laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement, following her book Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement. In the vein of Hidden Figures and Devil in the Grove, Spell Freedom is both a riveting, crucially important lens onto our past, and a deeply moving story for our present.
Weiss brings history to life with her storytelling. She is adept at making historical events relevant to contemporary issues, particularly with her knowledge of suffrage, gender politics, and activism. At her book talks, Weiss inspires audiences to think critically about social change while showing how ordinary individuals can make extraordinary differences in the world.
Women’s History Month: Acclaimed author Elaine Weiss receives glowing feedback for her talks on the women’s suffrage movement
While it is important to honor the legacy and achievements of women throughout the year, author ELAINE WEISS offers empowering presentations that align perfectly for a meaningful Women’s History Month program. A gifted historian, Weiss illuminates conversations about the women’s political organizing – past and present – and unpacks the modern relevance of the 19th Amendment for audiences of all kinds. Drawing on her acclaimed books The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote and Fruits of Victory, Weiss has enraptured groups from The Library of Congress to the American Bar Association, from the New York Historical Society and the Chautauqua Institution to the Nashville Public Library.
For her engaging and insightful presentations, Weiss consistently receives standing ovations and glowing feedback, such as:
Elaine Weiss, author of 'The Woman's Hour', delivers engaging talks about the power of civic engagement, past and present
Award-winning journalist and the author of the highly acclaimed narrative non-fiction book The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight for the Vote, ELAINE WEISS is in demand for her informative and engaging books talks. Her presentations, including the Princeton Public Library, Marine Biological Laboratory, Chautauqua Institution, and Library of Congress incorporate both visuals and a deep dive into her work, which sheds illuminating light on politics and women's rights today. Weiss is also a frequent media commentator, appearing on CBS Sunday Morning, PBS, NPR, and C-Span. Elaine has an innate ability to connect with any group and clearly explain the direct relevance of history’s most controversial issues.
The Women's Hour has been hailed as a "riveting, nail-biting political thriller" with powerful parallels to the current political environment. Weiss’s powerful words will also come to life on the small screen, as Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television has optioned the rights with Hillary Clinton attached as an Executive Producer. In remarks that are empowering and eye-opening, Weiss inspires audiences with conversations about what it takes to make social and political change, the power of civic engagement, and the struggle over voting rights, past and present. Rave reviews include “Elaine did an amazing job of bringing the history to life and connecting it with our organization today” (Women's League of Voters) and “In this crazy world we live in, we need more people like [Elaine] inspiring others to be good people!” (The Tennessee Municipal League)
Elaine Weiss is a journalist and author whose feature writing has been recognized with prizes from the Society of Professional Journalists, and her by-line has appeared in many national publications.
A MacDowell Colony Fellow and Pushcart Prize “Editor’s Choice” honoree, she is the author of the highly-acclaimed narrative history The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote (Viking/Penguin) hailed as a “riveting, nail-biting political thriller” with powerful parallels to today’s political environment. The Woman’s Hour was a GoodReads Readers’ Choice Award winner, short-listed for the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, and received the American Bar Association’s highest honor, the 2019 Silver Gavel Award.
Her previous book, Fruits of Victory: The Woman’s Land Army in the Great War was excerpted in Smithsonian Magazine and featured on C-Span and public radio stations nationwide.
Weiss holds a graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University. She is a popular public speaker and frequent media commentator on the themes of women’s political organization and modern voting rights, with recent op-eds published in The New York Times and interviews on NPR’s All Things Considered, CBS Sunday Morning, and PBS American Experience.
Steven Speilberg’s Amblin production company is adapting The Woman’s Hour for the screen, with Hillary Rodham Clinton serving as Executive Producer.
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