Professor Crane

PROFESSOR CRANE’S TECHNICAL WRITING

For over 25 years on the university level professor Crane collected brilliant examples of student writing from his students. He would then periodically re-issue locally printed textbooks composed of lectures, student writing examples, and motivational messages. Students in his technical writing classes could compare themselves to other students in this way, other welders or workers or people in the Navy for example, instead of to Shakespeare or Walt Whitman. This built their self-confidence and of course they reinforced each other in the classroom when great writing examples were read to the students or shown on the walls with an overhead projector. The most recent example of Executive English was printed in 1996 for use in Written Business Communication at National University, Crane’s retirement position after
16 years and over a hundred courses taught. Copies are still available from the Products page.

LECTURE FOR MAGICIANS

In 2009 I will offer another lecture tour, offering magicians the challenge to develop a unique character, costume, and act and to step out of the black clothing so many wizards where to deemphasize themselves. In this workshop format I will urge them to develop new and interesting characters, using props they already own, and to thus distinguish themselves visually as well as dramatically for an audience which can then easily remember them as well as their name. I’ll demonstrate half a dozen effects and have some to sell, will have a short introductory theoretical explanation, take many many questions from the audience, have a break in and sell effects.