Speaker • Author • Musician
Last year, I had the extraordinary good fortune to strike up a friendship with one of my favorite authors, Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak, The Courage To Teach, Healing the Heart of Democracy, etc.). The photo above is from a visit in his and Sharon s home in Madison, Wisconsin last August. I m so [ ] The post Parker Palmer s kind words appeared first on David LaMotte .
As I write this note, I m sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Antigua, Guatemala. A woman is mopping the floor, trucks are rumbling by outside, and church bells ring in the distance. Even with all of that sound, there is a certain kind of quiet. I m on the last day of a trip [ ] The post Remembering John Paul Walters appeared first on David LaMotte .
I m excited to officially announce a new musical collaboration with my dear friend Chinobay. Esaze (pronounced ay-SAHZ-ay ) means crossing in Chinobay s native language of Luganda. We will sometimes play as a duo (coming up on August 7, 2026 at the White Horse Black Mountain, for instance), and sometimes as a larger band (as we did [ ] The post Esaze featured on Afropop Worldwide appeared first on…
In August and September, I made a trip to Uganda at the invitation of a close friend. Chinobay is a world-class Ugandan musician who tours internationally, playing traditional instruments that he makes by hand (akogo, ndongo, kora, and many others). He is also the bearer of a huge heart, doing great work to support orphans [ ] The post Back to Uganda Want to come? appeared first on David LaMotte .
In this dense and fast-moving season, for me and for the world, I am far behind on catching folks up with the news in my own life. It has been an extraordinary summer and fall — and year, for that matter. In the midst of so much going on, though, there have been some moments [ ] The post An extraordinary speaking engagement in Erie, PA appeared first on David LaMotte .
Hi friends (and Friends?), Recently, I was invited to be a guest on two different Quaker podcasts with folks I admire. Jon Watts and Zack Jackson have been doing great work in recent years creating digital space for conversations about Quakerism, and sharing stories that matter. Carrie Newcomer and Parker Palmer, among my favorite songwriters [ ] The post Two recent Quaker podcast interviews…
On October 16, I ve been invited by Gannon University to speak at the historic Warner Theater in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon has chosen my book, You Are Changing the World Whether You Like It Or Not, as their Gannon READS selection for the 2025-2026 school year. They are giving each incoming student a copy of the [ ] The post Campus Read selection at Gannon University appeared first on David…
I realized last week that during this past summer, I was in five countries on three continents in ten weeks. I m not counting any layovers (that would make it seven countries), though I am counting the U.S., which sometimes feels like a foreign land these days, I confess. Trips to Canada, Scotland, Guatemala, and Uganda [ ] The post A Ugandan Adventure appeared first on David LaMotte .
In 2008, Deanna and I went to Guatemala on our honeymoon, with no idea that we would found a non-profit organization that would work there for decades. I ve just returned from a ten-day trip there (maybe my 36th?), and it was truly inspiring to see the difference this work is making in folks lives. Every [ ] The post News from Guatemala appeared first on David LaMotte .
(big thanks to Rotary s pro video crew and Rotarian Shawn Hamm) A few months ago, I was invited to speak at the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This was an extraordinary invitation, and I was beyond thrilled. I am grateful for the chance to hold the good work Rotary is doing in the [ ] The post The Big Gig Rotary in Calgary appeared first on David LaMotte .