President's Message

Executive Director's Messages
Associate Executive Director's Messages

January 2012
Happy New Year

TAA President Mary Kay Switzer

Happy New Year to all our members! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

This is truly a landmark year for TAA — our 25th Anniversary — a crowning achievement! As president of TAA one of my goals is to encourage our members to become more involved through participating in our audio conferences, joining in the discussions (via our social networks), forming chapters, and attending the annual conferences.

With the launch of the TAA-NCFDD Pilot Program for scholarly authors and the upcoming annual conference in New Orleans this June, 2012 promises to be an exciting year!

When I attended my first TAA conference in Chicago as a presenter, I knew from the start that TAA was an organization that would be of value to me. That expectation was confirmed once I realized that the more I got involved, the more I got out of my membership. Becoming engaged in TAA's authoring community truly reaps benefits!

I hope that you will join me at our 25th annual conference in New Orleans, June 8-9, 2012. Here is a preview from one of our keynote speakers, Joy Hakim, the author of many successful textbooks — including the famous, award-winning 11-volume series A History of US, which gave rise to the impressive PBS documentary, "Freedom: A History of US" — in her own words:

"Maybe I should warn you. My hair is cut in bangs. There is a reason: After years spent banging my head against brick walls, I'm trying to cover the bruises. Writing books for schools isn't easy. But you know that. Right now the field is either tough or exciting, you can choose your perspective. It should be fun to try to garner some insights in New Orleans. As for me, these words are posted above my desk:

'To present a scientific subject in an attractive and stimulating manner is an artistic task, similar to that of a novelist or even a dramatic writer. The same holds for writing textbooks.'"

Those words are from Max Born, who was Einstein's pal, and a Nobel prize-winner, and Olivia Newton-John's grandfather.

See you in New Orleans, June 8-9, 2012.

Mary Kay Switzer

Past President's Messages
Executive Director's Messages
Associate Executive Director's Messages