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Lee Gutkind  

Godfather of Creative Nonfiction; Expert on Nursing, Healthcare, Science & Technology

Lee Gutkind, recognized by Vanity Fair as “the Godfather behind creative nonfiction,” is the author and editor of more than 25 books with specialties in healthcare and nursing and science and technology. He is the founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction, the first and largest literary magazine to publish narrative nonfiction exclusively. Gutkind is Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University and a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. Gutkind is a sought-after keynote speaker about creative nonfiction, memoir, healthcare issues – especially nursing – and science and technology. He has lectured to audiences around the world – from China to the Czech Republic, from Australia to Africa to Egypt, and has appeared on many national radio and televisions shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central), Good Morning America, National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation and All Things Considered, as well as BBC World.

Gutkind’s latest books are You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction – from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between, is “reminiscent of Stephen King’s fiction handbook On Writing,” according to Kirkus Reviews, “An accessible, indispensable nonfiction guidebook from an authority who knows his subject from cover to cover,” and the anthology I Wasn’t Strong Like This: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse, which the New York Times called “beautifully wrought.” His other books include An Immense New Power to Heal: The Promise of Personalized Medicine, Almost Human: Making Robots Think, Many Sleepless Nights: The World of Organ Transplantation, Stuck in Time: The Tragedy of Childhood Mental Illness, and One Children’s Place: Inside a Children’s Hospital. He is also the editor of the anthology At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die.

Gutkind has received numerous honors and awards for his work, including The Steve Allan Individual Award, by United Mental Health, Inc., Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, Meritorious Service Award by American Council on Transplantation, Howard Blakeslee Award by the American Heart Association for “Outstanding Journalism,” and Golden Eagle Award by CINE, for the film, A Place Just Right. He is the recipient of the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts. Gutkind is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in the East, International Men of Achievement, International Directory of Distinguished Leadership, Who’s Who in American Publishing, and Who’s Who in American Education.

Speech Topics


An Immense New Power to Heal: The Promise and Future of Personalized Medicine

Stuck in Time: The Tragedy of Childhood Mental Health & What We Can Do About It

Writing About the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die

Almost Human: Our Future with Robots

Nurses: Heroes of the Medical Profession

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Writing Creative Nonfiction – From Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between

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