Presenting American Nations at Philanthropy Exchange 2014

I'm going to be in Washington, D.C. tomorrow to present the opening plenary talk at this year's Philanthropy Exchange 2014, the annual conference of the Council on Foundations, which represents the nation's grant-giving philanthropies.

I'm especially pleased that American Nations -- the subject of my talk -- is to set the theme for this year's conference: as I understand it, philanthropy working in (and helping perhaps overcome) a fractured nation.

Following my talk, the themes I raise will be taken up by a pretty impressive group: Jim Clifton, CEO, The Gallup Organization; Carly Dawn Hare, Executive Director, Native Americans in Philanthropy; Wendy Ramage Hawkins, Executive Director, Intel Foundation; Carol S. Larson, President and CEO, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Kevin K. Murphy, President, Berks County Community Foundation. [Update: Ford Foundation President and CEO Darren Walker is joining the discussion as well; the Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart will be moderating.] I'm very interested in hearing what they'll have to say.

If you're down at the conference -- it's a big one -- come by and say hello. I'll be signing a few books after the plenary.

Crossbones, Episode 2: In an unrelated matter, I caught the second episode of "Crossbones" last night, the NBC drama inspired by my third book, The Republic of Pirates, and starring John Malkovich as Blackbeard. Pleased to see it got impressive ratings last night, for its time slot, with 90 percent retention in the key viewing demographic against the premier. Take that, naysayers -- and time to give the show a more high-profile time slot.

I especially enjoyed the reveal that at least one of the supporting characters is a veteran of the Jacobite Uprising of 1715, a true to life and long hidden aspect of some of the real historical pirates surrounding Blackbeard that I revealed in Republic of Pirates. (Hat tip to the late Ken Kinkor on some of that.)And the "Athenian democracy" stuff? Yes, there's some truth to that as well, but you'll have to read my book to learn more.