Laurie Alberswerth
Senior Edu-tainer
& Mystery Author
Travelogue Programs
Memoir Writing Class
The Jude & Audie West Mysteries
"Edu-tainer??"
Edu-tainment (noun).
A word mash-up (portmanteau, if you're feeling fancy) of education and entertainment meaning (1) programming designed to teach through recreation, and (2) that my spell-checker curses the day I was born.
Like everyone, I am many things—wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend. Mystery author, photographer, public speaker. Traveler. Fiddle student. Degreed mechanical engineer.I'm not sure if this means I'm really confused or that I'm the personification of Chex-Mix. (My left- and right-brain hemispheres gave up that debate long ago.)Who better, then, to offer folks a mash-up of fun and enriching programs, i.e., edu-tainment?Based in St. Louis, Missouri, I bring live, original programming to area Senior Living Communities and Senior Centers. My two programs are “Explore! with Laurie,” twenty-plus travelogues of places I’ve personally visited, and “That’s the Story of My Life,” a memoir-writing workshop course.Interested? Click below to learn more!
"Explore! with Laurie"
travelogue programs
Hey, there, Life Enrichment Coordinators, Activity Directors, and Senior Center Afficionados!Are you looking for something new to entertain and enrich your group of fantastic seniors?You've landed in the perfect spot.I present edu-taining travelogues to St. Louis-area Senior Communities. “Explore! with Laurie” involves me, my laptop, your big-screen television or projector, and an hour’s worth of vivid photographs, fun facts, funny stories, and interesting history about locations around the United States, the Caribbean, and Italy.Every LIVE travelogue is of a place I have personally visited, and residents love how my first-person accounts make a location more vibrant. The (occasionally award-winning) photos are my own, and the stories of being lost after dark in Arches National Park or followed by a grizzly in an Alaskan mountain valley are very much also my own. :-)I’ve had great fun with the “Explore!” program at many Independent and Assisted Living communities. I make the travelogues interactive, with trivia questions, Q&A, and a good dose of what winds up being the Laurie Comedy Hour. In every session, I’ve heard stories of residents’ personal adventures, and Activity Directors say these travelogues get folks reminiscing and sharing for days.I would love to tell you more about this program or schedule a date to present to your community or senior center. After these past few crazy years, I think we’re all ready for a little Exploring!
Just a sample of the programs offered
(more always in work!)
*Denali National Park (NP), Alaska
*Rome, Italy
*Mammoth Cave NP, KY
*Utah's "Mighty 5" NPs
*Florence & Venice, Italy
*Southern Caribbean
*The Oregon Coast & Crater Lake
*Mesa Verde NP, CO
*Salem, MA
*Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP, CA
*Colonial Williamsburg, VA
*NE California & Lassen Volcanic
"That's the Story of My Life!"
Memoir Writing Course
"The palest ink is better than the best memory."
- Chinese proverb
Do your Senior Living Residents or Senior Center Visitors want to share their legacy, explore their life experiences, and keep those creative juices flowing?With "That's the Story of My Life," a memoir writing course I developed and lead as a lover of seniors and their stories, they can do all that and more.In eight, one-hour workshop sessions, folks learn how to:*Push past their roadblocks and start writing.
*Mine their Memory Treasure Chest.
*Express how they felt during life's BIG and small moments.
*Improve their writing skills in a relaxed and encouraging setting!BONUS: New friendships form and a stronger sense of community grows as Students share their personal stories with their classmates!The workshops (scheduled monthly or semi-monthly, your choice) include handouts, visual aids, and activities.Don't let "I'm not a writer" or "I don't know where to start" stop your people from passing on their hard-won wisdom.Contact me today to bring all the benefits of Memoir Writing to your space!
Testimonials for
"That's the Story of My Life!"
"Such a fulfilling experience! Laurie is an encourager, cheerleader, and teacher. She makes it fun to share our stories which we did not even know we had!"
-Sue R., Student Resident
"This memoir-writing workshop was a big hit with our residents. Laurie focused on different subject matter during each session and taught them how to record their precious memories. Not only did they enjoy learning from Laurie, but even met on their own in between to share their memories with each other. They were enthusiastic about each session and remained engaged throughout!"
-Mary Tebeau, Lifestyle Director
Books! Books! Books!
The Jude & Audie West Mysteries
A Cozy, Family-Tree Mystery Series set in Missouri
(Ebook, Paperback, and Kindle+)
Why hire West Genealogy?
They know where
the bodies are buried.
And if they don't, they'll dig until they hit pay dirt – or the top of a coffin. (Metaphorically speaking, of course.)
Jude, Audie, and their vintage camper explore Missouri and beyond, helping clients solve their family tree mysteries.A great-great-uncle vanished like D. B. Cooper? No problem. A paternal grandmother collected husbands like postage stamps? Bring it on.Now, if only the Wests could stop finding bodies
outside of the graveyard...
The Wests better watch their step. Tripping over these tangled roots could land them with the long-lost ancestors – six feet under.
Two mysteries, 160 years apart.
A tiny cemetery, hidden by Missouri cornfields, was supposed to put the nail in the coffin for West Genealogy's client. But finding the 1861 resting place of Elise Durand only added more questions to the family tree search... along with an extra body.
And that's not the end—Book #5 is in progress!
Meet Laurie!
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Laurie Alberswerth brings life and energy to in-person Senior Living and Senior Center programming. Her travelogues explore the nooks and crannies of spots all over the United States, the Caribbean, and Italy. And her memoir-writing workshops help to bring old stories to new life. When she isn’t camping in Missouri State Parks with her favorite husband/cover artist, she’s using those parks as settings for her genealogy-driven novels, the Jude & Audie West Mysteries.
Contact Me!
I'd love to chat about what I can bring to your group or Senior Community! Drop me an email to learn more.
Quick note: If you don't see a reply in a reasonable amount of time, please check your spam. I do not identify as a salty pork product, but several email servers (especially gmail) think there's a resemblance. Rude.