Author Events
Author Talks - Invite Me!
About Force of Nature - About the John Muir Trail - About the Art & Craft of Writing
Inspirational Talks
For more information about any of these events, please email me.
Upcoming Author Talks & Book Signings
"Walking the John Muir Trail"
South Placer Rotary Club
May 14 - 12noon
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"Remarkable Women Series"
Lake of the Pines - Firebelles
Joan Griffin & Nancy Lichtle
June 19 - 11am
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"Literary Citizenship"
Black Rose Writing AuthorFest
San Antonio, TX
Jul 31-Aug 1
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"The Mighty Pen - The Power of Literature
to Change the World"
Women's Fiction Writers Assn
Aug 12 - 10am via Zoom
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"Explore Narrative Nonfiction &
Spice Up Your Writing"
Elk Grove Writers Conference
Oct 25 - Time TBA
Talks for Book Clubs / Hiking Clubs /
Service Groups / Women's Clubs
I am available to visit with you and your club/group members, either in-person or via Zoom.
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I can discuss Force of Nature, the writing process, hiking in the Sierra Nevada, and/or the John Muir Trail. And I can answer your questions.
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The Force of Nature Book Club Kit with discussion questions, food ideas, complimentary book titles & reference links to John Muir Trail history and maps is available to download.
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Email me to schedule a visit with your group or club at joangriff@gmail.com.
Upcoming Classes
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In-Person & Zoom Classes at OLLI at Sierra College
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Host of Author Interview Series at OLLI at Sierra College
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Zoom Classes at OLLI at UC Davis
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Service Organization Talks
Spotlight on Local Authors - Zoom Lunch Pail Series - OLLI at Sierra College
Spring, Summer, Fall Semesters 2025
Grant Anna Rosanne Barbara Olson Shelley
Faulkner Crowe McHenry Lawrence Blanton Stroud
Meade Ann Kelly Patricia Sidney
Fischer Van Hine Lardner Puentes Niemeyer
I am the moderator of this monthly series of live, noon-time, interviews on Zoom with authors. All are interesting local authors representing a variety of different genres.
ALL proceeds go to the Sierra College Food Closet to support food-insecure students. Click here for all the details on the OLLI at Sierra website.
OLLI at Sierra College
Fall Semester 2025
In honor of America's 250th Anniversary
America's First Ladies
"The FLOTUS Series"
Back By Popular Demand!
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​​Term 1 - Washington to Monroe - Sept
Term 2 - Adams 2 to Tyler - Oct-Nov
In person - Rocklin Campus
and Via Zoom
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Term 1: The first four First Ladies, Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolly Madison, and Elizabeth Monroe, lived fascinating lives and played indispensable roles in their husbands' illustrious political careers. We’ll explore the lives and contributions of these women, America's Founding Mothers. How did they live? How did they influence their President husbands? Some historians say that without the assistance of their wives, none of their husbands would have found themselves elected to the Presidency.
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Term 2: Very different from the Founding Mothers, the Second Generation of First Ladies, Louisa Adams, Rachel Jackson, Leticia and Julia Tyler, were also very different from one another. One expanded the role of First Lady, another became an influential ghost, and a third turned rebel and joined the Confederacy. Come discover their fascinating stories.
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Online catalogue is available:
OLLI at Sierra College
Spring-Summer-Fall 2025
Lunch Pail Interview Series
Spotlight on Local Authors & Books
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Host/Interviewer - Joan Griffin
Monthly Zoom Series
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Feb - Grant Faulkner
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Mar - Anna Crowe, Narrator
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Apr - Rosanne McHenry
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May - Barbara Olson Lawrence
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Jun - Shelley Bland Stroud
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Aug - Meade Fischer
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Sep - Ann Van Hine
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Oct - Kelly Lardner
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Nov - Patricia Puentes
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Dec - Sidney Niemeyer
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All proceeds from this series
go to Sierra College Food Closet
to support food-insecure students
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Catalogue & registration
are available online.
Talks Available for
Clubs & Groups
The Invention of the First Lady
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The first three First Ladies, Martha, Abigail, and Dolley, have vastly different personalities and brought very different strengths to the position. But between them, they created the role of First Lady out of thin air. In fact, not one of their husbands would have ended up in the White House had they not had these women as their partners.
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Additional First Lady-themed talks/classes are available, too:
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Individual First Ladies
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"The Creation of the Modern First Lady"
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Shared with:
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Emigrant Gap Chapter - DAR
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Springfield History Club, Rocklin, CA
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Lincoln AAUW
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NC Professional Women's Groups
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UC Davis OLLI Program
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OLLI at Sierra College
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Available In-Person or via Zoom.
Contact me for more information about these and other talks I have available.
Past Classes, Talks, and Events
OLLI at Sierra College
How Did I Not Know That?
Social Justice Series
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Books previously read in this series include:
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The New Jim Crow
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The Warmth of Other Suns
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Just Mercy
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The Sum of Us
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How the Word Is Passed
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Four Hundred Souls
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How Did I Not Know That?
Environmental Science Series
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Books previously read in this series include:
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Finding the Mother Tree
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Braiding Sweetgrass
OLLI at Sierra College
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Women's History Through Literature
Book Discussion Series
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Books previously read in this series include:
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Becoming Madam Secretary
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The Women
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Lessons in Chemistry
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The Personal Librarian
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Remarkably Bright Creatures
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The Language of Flowers
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Summer Fun Reads
& Book Discussion
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Books previously read in this series include:
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Daisy Jones & The Six
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Finding Dorothy
OLLI at UC Davis
Spring Semester 2023
History & Government
Discussion Series
Conversations with Historian Don Fraser
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Political Parties
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It's Time to Amend the Constitution
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Controversies in American History
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