Town Talks Live!
Let’s Gather
Let’s Talk
Let’s Act
Saving democracy, one conversation at a time.
Mission:
To create a return to civil discourse in the context of our politics, in an effort to reduce contempt & misinformation tearing at the very fabric of our democracy.
It’s up to us!
Civil discourse begins with me.
Of the People
By the People
For the People
WE THE PEOPLE
“The most important political office is that of the private citzen.”
-Louis D. Brandeis
Supreme Court Justice, 1916 - 1939
Are you tired of the contempt, vitriol and divisive nature our national discourse? Let’s fix this locally. Let’s TALK!
Join the conversation!
Contact Us
Are you interested in working together? Would you consider facilitating a small talk? Do you have a compelling story to tell?
Fill out some information, and we’ll be in touch.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Let’s Talk!
Update: We are developing a “Small Talks Guide” for those of you who want to take these conversations further into your community, family, friends groups, institutions. E-mail if interested, and we’ll let you know when it is ready to launch!
We are also launching Town Talks Stories!
I am a 30 year veteran of Education in St. Louis. Over these years, I taught Elementary and Gifted Education in Parkway and Clayton, as well as classes on Literature and Writing at UMSL, Webster University, and a Master’s Degree in Education program at National Louis University in South County. My professional focus has been on the power of talk in transforming communities and democracy. With the current state of our democracy, I have decided to use my staff development, classroom skills, and expertise to revitalize our community through talk, and reclaim our democracy from the “Monetized Industrial Outrage Complex” (Arthur Brooks) that enriches itself by dividing us through contempt and misinformation. Through “othering,” and creating “silos,” this type of media is destroying our country. Civil Discourse is core to a healthy democracy, which begins and ends with each of us, and essential to getting us back on track - conversation by conversation. Please join a workshop and find hope and uplift! We can do this!
Joan VonDras, Founder