Preparing for a TED Talk

From Amy:

The big ideas that get us all talking didn't come from nowhere. Someone started talking about them, and somewhere along the way, they got traction. Somebody or something amplified them and they resonated. And that's the big idea behind a TedX talk. It's also the idea behind the partnerships I've been nurturing ever since I decided that I was going to commit my life going forward to being an author. These are those people we encounter who contribute indelibly to our understanding of where we've been and where we want to be going forward. 

Keri Mangis is one of those people for me.

I met Keri shortly after I had resigned my teaching job in early 2016, when I signed up for a book revision class in Minneapolis as a way to motivate myself to FINALLY get that first memoir draft finished. In theory we four participants would read through each other's manuscripts in turn and give helpful notes. In actuality, when I got the manuscript done, I gave it to my mother to read and (hint to all people writing memoirs: NEVER do that) not only did it ruin Mother's Day (yes, really, it was her Mother's Day present... seriously... do not do this... she hated my book) but the experience was so painful that I decided that I also did not trust the participants of the group to comment on my manuscript, nor the leader (who had just lost her mother... you see what a slippery slope this is) even after my mom and I started talking to each other again. 

Except... I really wanted Keri to be my first beta reader. And so, I quietly reached and asked her and felt comforted when she agreed.

That's right. Keri read German Awakening when it still went by another name. Her comments were helpful and made me feel seen.

Keri gave me names for a lot of things I didn't recognize fully back then, such as the word "Patriarchy." But I did know that in a society centered on men, certain essential truths about women get devalued at best, and often hidden. So. When Keri started talking about menopause as a liminal space, even though it's a topic we're FINALLY discussing, of course Keri had a fascinating take on menopause I'd never thought of.

And as the anecdote with my mom reveals, we really should be talking about the experience of women elders in our male-normative world.

It feels preordained that Keri would be selected to give a TedX Minneapolis talk. And of course we were going to podcast about it.

This is the pre-talk episode, on the origins of Keri's talk and what this whole experience has meant to her so far. 

The show is THIS WEDNESDAY, 6:00 at Orchestra.

You can buy tickets here. 

Keri will be back for Episode 111 to debrief with me. See you at Orchestra Hall

Keri Mangis is more than just an author and speaker—she’s a guide for those seeking deeper meaning and transformation in a chaotic world. With over 20 years of experience as a wholeness advocate and spiritual teacher, Keri understands the frustration of feeling stuck and disconnected. Through her writing and teachings, Keri helps people break free from limiting beliefs to rediscover their true essence and align with their core values. Her spiritual and personal growth studies and certifications have run the gamut over the years from yoga, Ayurveda, energy work, and meditation. Most recently, she has taken on studying Alchemy, Jungian Psychology, archetypes, and rites of passage. She has completed several courses with Sharon Blackie, Michael Meade, and the Center of Applied Jungian Studies. Her writing has appeared in Spirituality and Health Magazine, Star Tribune, Elephant Journal, and others. Her first book, *Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness*, received multiple awards, including the 2020 IPA award for Mind, Body & Spirit and the 2020 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal in Non-Fiction Spiritual and Supernatural. She is currently working on her second book, an illuminating exploration of personal and collective transformation that will empower readers to evolve their consciousness for an uncertain future.

Keri's Links:

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Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcas