2022
August 27. Fiction Mentor at the BLITZ Writing Retreat
March 23. Zoom presentation with students at Montgomery School in Chester Spring, PA.
January 8-15. Key West Writing Seminar, Key West. FL. Workshop with Joyce Maynard.
2021
April 1. Interview for student literary publication “Window Seat,” Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.
April 7. Zoom presentation with students at R.J. Grey Junior High in Acton, MA.
2020:
January 9-19. Key West Writing Seminar, Key West, FL. Workshop with Luis Alberto Urrea.
2019:
September 26. Interviewed by Jordan Rich for his podcast “On Mic with Jordan Rich.”
September 6. AUDIO VERSION OF BEING HENRY DAVID RELEASED!
May 3-5. Writing retreat, Acton MA
January 12-22. Attend Key West Writing Seminar, Key West, FL. Workshop with Daniel Menaker.
2018:
June 25-29. Writer’s retreat, Saco ME
May 6. Stroll around Walden Pond in Concord, reading excerpts from BHD with youth from St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church (Acton, MA)
March 27. Day at Thayer Academy, Braintree, MA
January 15-19. Attend Key West Writing Seminar, Key West, FL. Workshop with Kate Moses
2017:
December 3. Visit Dedham Country Day School.
November 18-19. Presenter/workshop leader for Bancroft Young Writers Conference
June 15. Visit Ipswich Middle School, Ipswich MA
May 12. Visit Minuteman Regional High School, Lexington, MA
April 11. Visit Erskine Academy, China Lake, ME
Feb. 10 – Sunday Feb. 12. Attend SBWI Conference in NYC
January 16 – Friday, January 20. Attend Key West Writer’s Workshop, Key West FL
2016:
Wednesday, November 23. Visit R.J. Grey Junior High, Acton MA
Saturday, October 15. Attended Boston Festival of Books, Boston MA
Monday, October 3. Speak at Thayer Library, Groton, MA
Tuesday, April 12. Speak to COA group, Carlisle, MA
Monday, February 15. Speak at Life Care Center, Acton MA
Saturday, April 30 – Sunday May 1. Attend New England SCBWI Conference, Springfield MA
Thursday, January 7 – January 10. Attend Key West Literary Seminar, Key West FL
2015:
Thursday, September 24. Visit Rockville High School, Vernon, CT
Monday, September 28. Visit Lodi Middle School, Lodi, WI
Wednesday, September 30. Visit Heritage Grove Middle School, Plainfield, IL
Friday, October 16. Visit Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, MA
Tuesday, April 12. Guest speaker for Council on Aging, Carlisle, MA
Monday, March 30. 9:20 – ? Visit R.J. Grey Junior High in Acton, MA!
Wednesday, April 1. 2:00 – ? Visit Willimantic H.S., Willimantic, CT.
Wednesday, May 6. Noon-ish. “Speed Dating with Authors,” at the Massachusetts Library Association conference in Worcester, MA
Wednesday, May 20. 11:15-noon. Visit “The Great Reads Book Club” at Bancroft Middle School, Worcester, MA.
Wednesday, May 27. 1:00 pm. Skype with students at the Richard Bernotas Middle School in Crystal Lake, Illinois
2014:
Thurs., Feb. 27, Interview on TV show, “Be My Guest.”
Sat., March 1, PAPERBACK EDITION OF BEING HENRY DAVID IS RELEASED.
Thurs., March 6, Visiting Book Club in Acton as they discuss BEING HENRY DAVID!
Wednesday, March 12, ILLINOIS READS! Going to the Old Statehouse in Springfield, IL to hobnob with local and state officials to launch this program sponsored by the Illinois Literary Council. BHD is one of 6 books chosen for young adults that will be promoted all over the state of Illinois during 2014. SO excited!
Fri., March 14, Visit Boston Latin Academy for book club and lunch!
Tues., March 18, Visit Rockville High School in Vernon, CT. Book club and classroom visits!
Thurs., March 27, Celebrity Book Club at Newtonville Books, Newton, MA. Discussing THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.
Thurs., April 17, Author Visit and Writing Workshop at Medford Public Library, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Tues., April 29, Meeting Lisa Ricci’s class field trip at Walden Pond!
Sat., June 7, Reading at Newtonville Books, Newton MA
Tues., August 12, Presentation during Writer’s Conference in Ocean Park, Maine: “How Ocean Park (and Thoreau) Helped Me Become a Published Writer.”
Fri., Sept. 19, Visiting Seekonk High School, where they’ve chosen BEING HENRY DAVID for their all-school summer read, 2014!!
Sat., Sept. 20, 10-30-12:30, Participating in a Writer’s Roundtable Discussion at the Lancaster Library, Lancaster, MA, with the Seven Bridge Writer’s Collaberative.
Wednesday, September 24, 6 p.m. Speaking at the the Prairie Area Reading Council kick-off meeting at the Lisle Hilton, Lisle, Illinois. Part of the Illnois Reads state-wide reading program, to which my book was named for 2014!
Sunday, November 16, 1-3 p.m. Participating in Author’s Fair at the Groton Public Library in Groton, MA..books for sale, goodies to give away, hobnobbing and signing!
Monday, November 17, 10:30-? Visiting R.J. Grey Junior High in Acton, MA, to have lunch, make a presentation, and lead a writer’s workshop.
2013:
Feb. 16, 8:00am-1:00pm: Anderson’s Bookshop’s Eleventh Annual Children’s Literature Breakfast, Abbington Distinctive Banquets, Glen Ellyn, IL
Feb 17, 2:00pm-?: Midwest Book Launch & Signing at Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 West Jefferson Street, Naperville, IL
Feb 19, 8:00am-3:00pm: Naperville School Visits, Naperville, IL
Feb 20, 8:00am-3:00pm: Naperville School Visits, Naperville, IL
Feb 21, 8:00am-3:00pm: Naperville School Visits, Naperville, IL
March 3, 2:00pm-4:00pm: East Coast Launch Party & Signing at Willow Books, 279 Great Road, Acton MA
March 6-9: AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Annual Conference & Bookfair, Hynes Convention Center, Boston. Attending seminars, manning Stonecoast MFA table and offering BHD for sale and signing
March 18, 8:00am-3:00pm: Visit Southold High School, Southold, Long Island, NY
7:00pm-9:00pm: Library Visit and Book Signing, Southold Free Library, 53705 Main Road, Southold NY
March 19, 8:00am-3:00pm: Visit Shelter Island High School, Shelter Island, NY
March 19, 7:00pm-8:30pm: Cal will be participating on a panel of writers as part of the Groton Reads and Writes program at the Groton Public Library,
April 24, 8:00am-3:00pm: Visit Hudson High School, Hudson, MA
April 30, 7:00pm: Visit Gleason Public Library, 22 Bedford Road, Carlisle MA
May 2, 6:30 pm: R.J. Grey Junior High in Acton, chatting with the Student-Parent-Teacher Book Club in the library.
May 3-5: Attending “Muse and the Marketplace” (Grub Street) Conference, Boston
May 13, 7:00pm: Read at Newtonville Books, 10 Langley Rd., Newton, MA during the special Stonecoast MFA Reading: Celebrating Ten Years. With Eugenio Volpe Richard Cambridge and Mihku Paul. Hosted by longtime Stonecoast fiction faculty member Elizabeth Searle! Click for more information.
May 18, 4:00pm: “So You Want To Write a Book….” Children’s Book Talk at Wellesely Books, 82 Central Street, Wellesley, with Scott Blagden, Jack D. Ferraiolo and Joe Lawlor. Panel Discussion, Q&A, refreshments, book signing, writing feedback.
June 2: Speaker at Sixth Annual “Are You a Bookie?” Book Club, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA
June 19 – Participating in Local Author Panel at Acton Memorial Library with Christopher Cox and Anne Easter-Smith.
June 29, 30: ALA (American Library Association) conference in Chicago, IL.
— 6/29, 2:00pm: book signing in Albert Whitman booth
Evening: author dinner (“co-authored” with Cornelia Spelman)
— 6/30, 11:00-11:30 a.m. “Meet the Author” and e-book signing at the Open Road Integrated Media booth
— 6/30, 2:30-4:00pm: AAP family feud (Cal has been chosen to be one of five authors on the author team, versus the librarian team. Go Authors!)
Wed, August 7: Guest blogger on DearTeenMe.com
Sat, Sept. 21, 8:00 a.m.: “An Author’s Journey.” Presentation the the Men’s (and Women’s) Breakfast at Acton Congregational Church, 12 Concord Road, Acton, MA
Fri, September 27, 7:00 p.m.: “The Story Behind the Story: An Author’s Tale.” Presentation at the Harvard Public Library as part of the Warner Free Lecture Series. 4 Pond Rd Harvard, MA.
Sat, October 26, 1-3 p.m.: Panelist at the New England Mobile Book Fair with authors Joe Lawler, Anna Staniszewski, and Scott Blagden. 82-84 Needham Street, Newton Highlands, MA.
Sat, November 2, 2:00: Writing Workshop for Teens at the Concord Public Library, Fowler Branch, West Concord, MA
Mon, Tues, November 25, 26: Panelist at the ALAN 2013 Workshop, as part of the NCTE Annual Convention. (ALAN: Assembly on Literature for Adolescents. NCTE: National Council of Teachers of English.)
2015
Monday, March 30. 9:20 – ? Visit R.J. Grey Junior High in Acton, MA!
Wednesday, April 1. 2:00 – ? Visit Willimantic H.S., Willimantic, CT.
Wednesday, May 6. Noon-ish. “Speed Dating with Authors,” at the Massachusetts Library Association conference in Worcester, MA
Wednesday, May 20. 11:15-noon. Visit “The Great Reads Book Club” at Bancroft Middle School, Worcester, MA.
Wednesday, May 27. 1:00 pm. Skype with students at the Richard Bernotas Middle School in Crystal Lake, Illinois
Blog Tour 2013
cal armistead 
Hi Cal,
I work in Technical Services at the Concord Free Public Library and noticed you haven’t listed your event on November 2nd at 2:00 at the Fowler Branch Library for your Workshop: Teen Writing Program. Just hoping you might mention it, as there are a lot of teens who are looking forward to meeting you! Thanks, Kitty Smith
Thanks, Kitty–I have updated my events page to reflect this!
Hi Cal,
I am the Reference Librarian at the Grafton Public Library in Grafton MA. I thought you might be interested in knowing that I just hosted our first meeting of the “Not Just for Young Adults” book discussion group. It’s for adults who love YA lit. We read your book “Being Henry David”. We had a lovely conversations.
Thanks for writing it.
Hi Cal,
Can’t seem to locate an email address for you, so am writing to you here. My name is Jan Lewis and I am the Host of “Be My Guest!”, a television interview program that is aired both locally as well as internationally online.
I also belong to a Readers Group at the Grafton Library, here in Mass., and we just read and discussed your wonderful first book “Being Henry David!” Can’t bravo enough about it! I work as a Publicist for Authors, Artists and Entrepreneurs, besides hosting the television program, so I can appreciate excellent writing like yours.
I would like to extend an invitation to you to appear on “Be My Guest!” .(There is no fee for this). The program is filmed in Upton and is 1/2 hour in length. Every guest receives a complimentary DVD copy of the program they appear on and may use that in any promotional venue(s) of their choice. I interview a very wide range of guests, but I have a definite soft spot in my heart for authors……I am an avid reader!
We are now scheduling into February and I can send you available guest slots, for you to choose one from that works for you. We film the program on Wednesdays and Thursdays, in the afternoon.
You can view “Be My Guest!” online at: uptonma.gov
Once on the site, scroll down and to the left, then click onto Video Streaming.
Then, click onto “Be My Guest!” There are numerous previous shows on, for viewers to enjoy, 24/7.
The program is taped, so that if any editing is necessary, it can be done before the program airs.
You can reach me at: jjl3000@verizon.net and/or 508.529.4436
Sincerely,
Jan Lewis
Host, “Be My Guest!” UCTV12 uptonma.gov
Communications Consultant
Publicist for Authors, Artists and Entrepreneurs
Hi Cal,
I work at Medford Public Library and a tweet from @TedfordA reminded us how close you are. We’d love to see you come by and talk about “Being Henry David”. If you ever get a chance, let me know. You can reach me at ssednek@minlib.net or at the library 781-395-7950.
Thanks!
Sam Sednek
Head of Youth Services
Medford Public Library
Hello,
I am the librarian at Seekonk (MA) High School (near Providence) and we have selected “Being Henry David” as our all-school read for summer 2014. I’d love to talk with you about a possible visit in the fall – what is the best way to get in touch with you? We are so excited about choosing your book!
Many thanks!
Hi Cal! We are reading “Being Henry David” again as an eighth grade at Bernotas Middle School in Crystal Lake, IL. We have done book chats with you in the past, would it be possible to get in touch and set one up again this year? Perhaps a brief Skype session? Thank you so much!