Speaking
Betsy is a scholar of the unusual.
I speak regularly for industry, academia, and the general public on history, law, mass media, and culture, using history to give audiences a lively perspective on challenges we’re still sorting through today.
The circus is more than a big top and a bucket of popcorn. It is a space outside reality, a magical realm where we can escape our everyday life and dream about ways to change it once we leave. In the tent we see our own biases and dreams in sequins and a spotlight. Amazing things are possible. It can show us all how to be more joyful, more efficient, more in community, and more wondrous.
Book Betsy
Speaking
Keynote Topics
Circus and Amusement in American history
Circus was America’s dominant entertainment for decades. What was life like under the big top – and how did circus help create our modern popular culture?
P.T. Barnum and Post-Truth Society
Decades of American history contributed to our present “post-truth” environment. And yes, you could say P.T. Barnum got us into this mess, but. he also might be able to get us out.
Circus as a Lens for Motivation & Excellence
The circus is a space of possibility. It helps us to learn about ourselves and our communities, to see where we can do better, and to think about the value of joy and play.
Performing Gender
At times in history when loud voices shout about uniformity, performance spaces assure us that there are many ways to express our humanity.
Disability History & Rights
Circus and other performing arts have historically operated as places where disabled people have representation, independence, and community in the face of social and political challenges.
Artificial Intelligence, and Creativity, and George Washington, Too
A historic story of technology, creativity, and innovation that can still guide us today in an age of AI.
Coming soon in 2026:
- TEDx Sarasota
- Yale Schwarzman Center
- World Circus Day at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Past talks include:
- “Performing Gender in the Historic Circus”
- “Step Right Up: The History of the American Circus”
- “Every Day is Circus Day: Disney Parks & Circus”
- “Aspirational Womanhood and the Historic Sideshow”
- “A More Honest Ovation: P.T. Barnum & the First Fan Conventions”
- “Archives and Extraordinary Bodies”
- “Intellectual Property, the Circus, and George Washington, Too: Why Copyright Matters”
