The keynote speech was given on January 10, 2020, at the graduation dinner for the MFA program (Maslow Creative Writing Program) students at Wilkes University. Attending the dinner were graduating students, and MFA students, professors such as Michael Lennon, Bonnie Culver, Director of the program, writer Beverly Donofrio, poet Tim Seibles, Christine Tomasino, Phil Brady, Paul Adams, Kaylie Jones, Nancy McKinley, Lenore Hart, and the President of Wilkes University.