Claire is available for Skype and in-person visits, for kids, teens, and adults.
To inquire about booking and rates, please email visits@claire-legrand.com.
Upcoming Events
Rochester Teen Book Festival
Saturday September 24
Frontier Field, Rochester NY
Claire loves talking about all things writing and reading. Some of the things she especially likes talking about are:
Storytelling and the Creative Process
As a former musician, Claire uses music and other media to help her build stories. With help from Pinterest and Spotify, Claire will teach students how to utilize these tools to brainstorm, find inspiration, and build their own stories.
The Journey to Publication
Claire’s path to being a published author was long, winding, and full of rejections. She will show students these rejections, speak frankly about living with mental illness, and emphasize how the most important part of being a writer is not giving up.
Following Your Dreams
Claire used to be a musician, but once she decided to become a writer, there was no going back. She will talk to students about her unpredictable college and career path and what it’s like being an author who has a day job. She will also encourage them to follow their own dreams, even if those dreams change or are hard to figure out. This is a particularly relevant topic for teens dealing with the pressure of life after high school.
Building Story Texture
“Texture” is perhaps the most intangible and yet most important component of an author’s voice, and one of the elements of writing craft about which Claire is most passionate. Claire loves working with writing students of all ages on this topic by taking a deep dive into her own methods and leading students through group analyses and rewrites of passages from her own work.
“The copies of The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls literally flew off the library shelves after the members of our middle school Literacy Ambassadors group Skyped with Claire. Her enthusiasm for reading, brilliant sense of humor, and genuine affection for the art of writing has our students counting the days until the release of her next book!” Dana Thomas, library media specialist, Cypress Lakes Middle School (Ft. Meyers, FL)
“I felt myself instantly relax the moment Ms. Legrand began her presentation—such were her charms and capabilities as a performer. Most notably, our students remained mesmerized for a full 45 minutes. The plots of her books, not to mention the story of her journey from musician to writer, captivated the kids and adults in the room.” Natasha Goldberg, librarian, The Chapin School (New York City, NY)
“My students are struggling readers and writers who lack the confidence to write well. Claire discussed her struggles, showed them her rejection letters, and told them about the obstacles she had to overcome in order to become a successful writer. She was able to connect with my students because she spoke with them at their level and had engaging activities to help them develop their ideas and be creative in their writing. Thank you Claire for making my students excited about writing and for making me a better writing teacher!” Lisa McGhee, reading teacher, Princeton Unified Middle School (Princeton, NJ)