PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

(Speeches, Papers, Workshops, Exhibits)

“Education Through Freedom,” speech delivered at FOCUS ‘70: Curriculum Workshop, Illinois State University (March 22, 1969)

“Lewis Carroll’s Interest in Language,” paper delivered at Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA (1972)

“Literature: a Matter of Morals”, delivered to the English Dept. Colloquium at ISU (spring, 1979)

Participant at the Sixth Annual State Young Authors’ Conference, “New Horizons”, sponsored by the Illinois Office of Education and the International Reading Association, Bloomington High School, Bloomington, IL (April 26, 1980)

Conducted an all-day workshop in Creative Writing for the community of Blue Pike Poets, Decatur, IL (June 14, 1980)

“What Editors Look For,” presentation at the Illinois Writers, Inc. Conference, Illinois State University (1980)

Television interview as author of Sticklewort and Feverfew at the commercial TV station in Cedar Rapids, IA (Oct. 10, 1980)

Exhibition of 12 original drawings from Sticklewort and Feverfew at The Haunted Bookshop, Iowa City, IA (Oct. 10--Nov. 8, 1980)

Invitational reading from my novel Sticklewort and Feverfew at the Iowa City Public Library (Iowa City, IA) (Oct. 10, 1980)

Interview published in The Daily Iowan (Iowa City) (Oct. 13, 1980)

Exhibition of 15 original drawings illustrating Sticklewort and Feverfew at the McLean County Arts Association Gallery during Illinois Arts Week, Bloomington, IL (Oct. 6--12, 1980)

Invitational reading from Sticklewort and Feverfew at the Normal Public Library (Normal, IL) (Nov., 1980)

Invitational reading from Sticklewort and Feverfew at the Randolph Township Public Library (Heyworth, IL)--in 1980

“The Small Press Literary Magazine: An Editor’s Perspective,” at the annual Winthrop College Writers’ Conference, Rock Hill, SC (Nov. 13, 1980)

“The Teaching of Creative Writing,” at a Teachers and Writers Workshop at Quincy High School, Quincy, IL (March 5, 1982)

Conducted an all-day Creative Writing Workshop for children (K-12) at the Region V Area Service Center for the Gifted, Rantoul, IL (April 24, 1982)

“Submitting Work to Literary Magazines,” at the Illinois Writers, Inc. Conference, Libertyville, IL (June 26, 1982)

“How a Book is Made,” classroom presentation at Fairview School, Normal, IL (May 20, 1983)

“Self-Publication versus Vanity Publishing,” speech at the Illinois Writers Incorporated Annual Conference, ISU (June 11, 1983)

“The Self-Publishing Option,” speech to the Illinois Wesleyan University Writers’ Conference, IWU, Bloomington, IL (August 4, 1983)

“Hidden Persuaders: Political Ideologies in Literature for Children,” paper presented at the MMLA Convention, Minneapolis, MN (Nov. 4, 1983)(Children’s Lit section)

“Story-Writing: How to Start and How to Finish,” presentation to a writing workshop at Oakland School, Bloomington, IL (Nov. 9, 1983)

“Self-Editing and Submitting for Publication,” presentation to the Creative Writing Club at University High School, Normal, IL (Nov. 16, 1983)

“Principles of Book Illustration,” presentation to pupils and parents at Washington School, Bloomington, IL (Nov. 18, 1983)

“The State of Publishing and the Small Press Alternative,” at the Corn Belt Library System workshop on The Small Press and What It Can Do For You, Bloomington, IL (October, 1985)

“Writing Your Story and Making a Book,” presentation to 30 grade-school-age writers in a Regional Service Area for the Gifted Program at Clinton Junior High School, Clinton, IL (June 18, 1986)

“Putting Your Imagination to Work”, at the Eighth Annual Young Authors’ Conference, Dist. 130 Public School, Blue Island, IL (May 6, 1987)

“What It Means to be a Writer,” presented at a Writing Workshop for Junior High School Students held at Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, IL (Oct. 26. 1987)

“Narrative in Literature and Art,” lecture/presentation (with Rosalyn Schwartz, University of Illinois graphic artist) at ISU, Center for Visual Arts Gallery (May 2, 1990)

Exhibition of 8 original drawings from Sticklewort and Feverfew at the Center for Visual Arts Gallery at Illinois Sate University (May, 1990)

Participant on two panels: “Trends in New Fiction” and “The Expanding Market for Short Stories”, at the Conference on Publishing held at the Writers Center, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL (June 16, 1990)

Reading from various of my works, ISU English Department, CVA Gallery, December 2, 1992.

Poetry writing workshop with young inmates at the McLean County Juvenile Detention Facility, Normal, IL (Feb., 1998)

"An Evening with Alice" (reading from Lewis Carroll’s work, with commentary), at Hatter's Restaurant, Bloomington, IL (March 3, 1998)

“The PATRIOT Act: an Assault on Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights,” presentation at Moses Montefiore Temple, Bloomington, IL (Nov. 4, 2001)

Videotaped interview and reading from Sticklewort and Feverfew, conducted by Peg Knoepfle at Sangamon State University, Springfield, IL (2004)

“Terrorism, the PATRIOT Act II, and ACLU,” presentation (with Larry Necheles) to ISU’s Global Review, Illinois State University (April 28, 2005)

Book signing: The Farringford Cadenza at Babbitt’s Books, Normal, IL (Oct. 11, 2007)

Interview: “Robert D. Sutherland Gives Us an Indepth Insight Into the Creation of His Books, The Farringford Cadenza and Sticklewort and Feverfew”, conducted by Sylvia L. Ramsey in “Thoughtful Reflections”, September 15, 2011. Also published electronically on this website (September 28, 2011).

Interview: “Digital hasn’t unlocked door to world without gatekeepers”, conducted by Thomas Frisbie and published in Literary License, newsletter of the Society of Midland Authors (May-July, 2012), p. 7

Public presentation at Illinois Wesleyan University: “Alternatives to Incarceration: Reducing Jail Overcrowding in McLean County, Illinois”. Description of accomplishments of a twelve-year effort (January 21, 2013).

Wild Rhythms Uhigh Class of 80 reunion