“Max Grinnell is a curious traveler, the kind of guy that wants to see the ‘real’ city and learn about the history of a place and how its development and transformative experiences affects the present day. He is interested in ‘off the beaten path’ experiences as well as those aspects that make a city famous. Max is both enthusiastic and intellectual in his approach. It is a true honor to have him visit your city.”
~Kasey Laine Riley, Johnson County Library System
“Max Grinnell’s knowledge of Chicago is surpassed only by his charm. In his program “From Pullman to Albany Park: Great Walks in Chicago and Other Pursuits,” he shared some of Chicago’s best kept secrets including museums, architecture, neighborhoods, and tours. Perfect for anyone interested in Chicago, Max’s engaging and interactive talk is sure to inspire library audiences everywhere.”
~Melissa Kaszynski, Chicago Public Library
“Max Grinnell is a smart, thoughtful, and engaging presenter. Lawrence Public Library enjoyed hosting him in our community, both on and off the library stage. In the days prior to his talk on public art for our “Urban Palimpsest” series with the University of Kansas, Max set to work discovering our city and interacting with the community, and drew out the most prominent members of our thriving arts community to attend his Monday night talk. From activating art in public spaces to understanding factors that impact how and why public art projects are developed, his talk was dynamic and perfectly suited to the audience. Thank you, Max, for a great presentation in Lawrence, KS!”
~Rachel Smalter Hall, Lawrence Public Library
“Max Grinnell provided an excellent program for our patrons on the adventures of travel writing. He also sponsored a writing contest, and he received over 20 entries. The program was very informative and the intimacy he was able to bring to the group by calling participants by name and reading their writing pieces made the night a tremendous success.
I appreciate the experience and expertise Mr. Grinnell was able to share with the group. I saw a lot of note taking, which tells me they were getting the information they were seeking. I received a lot of positive comments from attendees in the days after his visit.
It was a pleasure working with Mr. Grinnell. He was professional and reliable. We would definitely invite him back to the Lapeer District Library for another program.”
~ Laura Fromwiller, Lapeer District Library
“Max’s approach to his program here at the Jones Library was both enthusiastic and learned. Additionally, he sponsored a writing contest and brought prizes for the contest winners. His programs had a great turnout and I would definitely recommend his program to other public libraries”
~ Sharon Sharry, Jones Library
“Max incorporated personal stories, visuals and a dash of humor to engage our library audience in Albuquerque. He encouraged everyone to participate in the discussion. Whether the participants were interested in travel writing, sharing their love of travel, or just there to listen, there was something for everyone in Max’s presentation. Max, please stop by again then next time you’re headed our way!”
~ Natasha P. Casteel, Assistant Director, Programming and Materials Support Services, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Libraries
“Max has an incredible ability to draw in a crowd. Before we knew it, he was comparing stories with patrons and had the whole place involved in his presentation. His knowledge of the subject matter (the history, culture, architecture and “local secrets” of places like Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and even parts of Europe) is dizzying. The conversational style of his delivery and his charming personality made him very accessible for questions and discussion. Afterwards, he stuck around discussing travel plans and giving tips to patrons! Max surpassed all of our expectations. We will definitely look forward to hosting him again in the future!”
~Michael Caldararo, Norfolk Public Library
“Max brought his unique commentary on building sustainable communities to the October 2011 Hagerstown Washington County Chamber of Commerce Eggs & Issues Breakfast. His presentation featured a video ‘walking’ tour of downtown Hagerstown illustrating the many positive examples of creative and attractive uses of downtown facilities, found during his tour of our community. Max peppered his discussion with suggestions for creating a more welcoming environment where opportunities existed throughout our community.”
~Patricia Wishard, Washington County Free Library
“Max made available to our patrons a wealth of travel knowledge and expertise. His program was informative and interesting. I feel as if everyone who attended left not only a little more wise about the art of traveling, but also as if they had made a friend to help with their journeys. Max has a charm that made everyone feel welcome. The audience was transformed from simple spectators to a group of friends sharing their travel experiences. We will definitely ask Max to return to our library.”
~Amanda Clark, Boyd County Public Library
“Max Grinnell impressed me most with the amount of research he did on the history and current events of Henderson prior to his talks. He was able to recommend local jaunts to our own patrons who have lived here for years! He also gave savvy tips to our patrons about getting the most out of their travels without being overwhelmed by new areas. Max is a personable and engaging speaker who easily engages audience members in discussing their own passions for travel. I would recommend him as a speaker to any public library.”
~Joan Dalusung, Henderson District Public Libraries
“The thing that was most striking about Max was his enthusiasm and genuine love for travel and travel writing. You can sense it right away. That’s the component that makes all the difference when you assess library programming and what a guest speaker has the potential to contribute. When a speaker has a sincere interest, everyone benefits. He offered a great program and the patrons who attended definitely picked up on his enthusiasm, which was evident by their willingness to express opinions and participate in discussion. That doesn’t always happen with every guest speaker. In short, the Utica Public Library was pleased that Max visited as part of our guest speaker program.”
~Carl Antonucci, Utica Public Library
“Max’s first visit to the Ela Area Public Library captivated our patrons with his knowledge & humorous stories of his recommended places to visit in Chicago. Max encouraged audience members to participate in the talk. His presentation highlighted affordable or free tours & places to see in Chicago that the local resident tourist or out-of-towner might miss. It was a pleasure working with Max and we look forward to inviting him back in the near future.”
~Terri Meyer, Adult Program Coordinator, Ela Area Public Library District
“Max Grinnell had a presentation at our library that surpassed expectations. He combined an engaging, conversational tone with a far-reaching historical and critical grounding. Recommended!
~Travis Fristoe, Alachua County Library System
“Max came to Alamogordo, New Mexico in May to help us kick-off our 2nd adult summer reading program. He is charming and his program was engaging, entertaining and informative. We had planned a fun summer of travel related events, and Max’s talk was the perfect beginning. He is able to weave together his own experiences, really interesting and sometimes hilarious trivia and audience participation to create a memorable and completely enjoyable event. We are already planning his next visit! Thank you Max for making summer reading so much fun!”
~Amy Rivers, Alamogordo Public Library
“My colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation by Max Grinnell on Urbanism and American travels in Carson City this summer. Max is a railroad enthusiast so he was also quite supportive of the local V&T Railroad from Carson City to Virginia City. He also spent some time in our area, researching some of the quirkier visitor experiences, such as the tour of the Cal Neva Casino at Lake Tahoe. His review of the history of Duncan Hines and his frequent ‘audience appreciation’ gifts delighted all of us and the presentation was over too quickly.
Max is a scholar with a sense of humor and a delight in the world of travel. Who could resist such a combination?”
~Robin Williamson, Carson City Public Library
“Mr. Grinnell was entertaining as well as informative and engaged the audience during an interactive question and answer period at the end of his program. We would highly recommend as a speaker for any future programs.”
~Norma Kane, Delray Beach Public Library
“Max’s remarks at our library were interesting, informative, and humorous and held the rapt attention of the audience. He was responsive to the questions and concerns of those attending, and even encouraged people to contact him for urban tours! Any group would be well pleased to present Max Grinnell, who makes his studies, writings and travels to Boston, Chicago, San Francisco or London come alive for the audience.”
~Judith W. Augusta, Derby Neck Library
“Max presented a great program here, with lots of great reference points in Chicago for people to think about and explore on their own during their next visit. He was very entertaining and interactive, and the audience was curious to learn all of the little items of trivia and ephemera that Max had compiled over his time as a writer and explorer.
He was extremely knowledgeable, and you could tell he really enjoyed being here. We would be happy to have him back again!”
~Ellen India, Sarasota County Libraries
“Max knows how to draw an audience into a discussion. While he was providing a program at our library, he asked the audience about their travel experiences, and lively discussion ensued. His description of his own travels fascinated our patrons, and he also provided a list of his favorite travel writings and works about cities and urban life.
Max sponsored a writing contest in conjunction with his program. He read several of the entries to the audience, and the contestants were pleased to have their work acknowledged in public, and awards were given out. It was a pleasure to work with Max.”
~Tereasa Roose, Clearwater Public Library System
