WENDELL MINOR
Writer & Illustrator

BIOGRAPHY I BOOKS I PRESENTATIONS I BOOK ORDERING

Wendell Minor's Presentations

Wendell's presentations are for children of all ages, teachers and librarians, and can be tailored for a particular age group and/or subject.

While showing slides of his work, Wendell talks about his personal experiences growing up in the heartland of America, and the people and places that inspired his vision as an artist. He feels strongly about reintroducing children of all ages to the importance of the natural environment, and how humans relate to it, which can be seen in the subject matter of his books.

He also discusses the importance of America's history and those who played a part in it, as demonstrated by his children's picture book biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Rachel Carson, John James Audubon, and autobiography of Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon.

Wendell further speaks about the reading disabilities he had as a child and how he overcame them, and emphasizes the importance of reading.  

Wendell explains his process in taking a book from concept to the completed design of a bound book: research, travel, sketches, final paintings, use of the computer in designing type elements, etc., as well as how the process may vary if he has authored a book himself. To help illustrate the process, he shows original sketches and book dummies.

Wendell prefers 45 minute sessions with a 10-15 minute question and answer period following.

Three presentations per day maximum.

He brings tear-sheet and/or postcard handouts for the children/teachers, and is happy to autograph books on the day(s) of the presentations.

Equipment Needed:

A room that can be sufficiently darkened for a slide presentation is required, and a microphone.

He brings his own laptop and projector and, although it isn't a requirement, if it's easy to do so, it would be helpful if a back-up is available in case of emergencies.

Honorarium:

Mr. Minor's honorarium is due by the end of the last day of the appearance. His fee structure is as follows:

School Visits:

$1,000 to $1,500 a day plus expenses, in the NY-NJ-CT area, depending on number of presentations requested and location (a lower fee applies if it is within driving distance of his home).

$2,500 a day plus expenses, for the rest of the United States.

Conferences:

$2,000 a day, plus expenses, in the NY-NJ-CT area.

$3,000 a day, plus expenses, for the rest of the United States.

Please note that expenses include carfare back and forth from the airport to his home, which comes to about $300; airfare to/from his home in CT; hotel if there's an overnight stay; meals during his stay; all cabs. For trips closer to CT, he often takes AmTrak instead of a flight, especially in winter, in which case the carfare back and forth from his home is considerably less.

Fees may be negotiable, so please contact Balkin Buddies by phone or email to discuss them.  For further information, especially about the expenses (travel, hotel, and meals), click the "Arrange An Appearance" button and see "General Information on the Cost of an Author Appearance" as well as the 'Honorariums' section near the bottom of "How to Plan an Author Appearance."