Speaking
Professor Burns is available for public speaking engagements. A dynamic and lively speaker, Dr. Burns was recently honored as a Distinguished Lecturer by the Organization of American Historians and has been named a “Top Young Historian” by the History News Network. Her recent appearances include: Mary Washington University Great Lives Series, the Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College, Campbell University, Wabash College, and the University of California, Berkeley.
To inquire about a potential speaking engagement, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Accolades and Video Clips
Dear Professor Burns,
Just a note to thank you for your superb Great Lives presentation on Ayn Rand at the University of Mary Washington last week.
Having directed the Great Lives program for the eight years of its existence, and thus having heard more than 130 lectures, I must say that yours stands out as one of the very best among an array of very impressive speakers. Your presentation was right on target, in terms of both content and delivery. I was especially impressed by your ability to “pitch” the lecture at exactly the right level—by no means an easy task, considering that the diverse audience comprised both university students and area residents.
Thanks for getting the 2011 series off to a fast start. You will be the proverbial “tough act to follow”!
Best Regards,
William B. Crawley, Jr., Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, University of Mary Washington
Wabash College - In Defense of Capitalism: The Ideas of Ayn Rand
Dr. Burns’ visit to Wabash College was wonderful. Her interactions with students and her evening lecture were thoughtful, scholarly, and fascinating.
Christie Byun, Assistant Professor of Economics, Wabash College
Your presentation was excellent! I’ve been to almost every talk here in the past few years, and you were by far the most interesting and engaging speaker. Thank you for coming!
Clare Riva, Athenaeum Fellow, Claremont McKenna Class of 2013
Columbia Business School, Social Enterprise Program, November 2009
Harvard Club of San Francisco, October 2009
Professor Burns can work with your school or organization to develop a lecture that will interest and enlighten your audience. Popular topics include:
- Godless Capitalism: Ayn Rand, Faith, and Politics
- In Defense of Capitalism: The Ideas of Ayn Rand
- Hippies of the Right: Ayn Rand and the Libertarian Movement
- Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right
To inquire about a potential speaking engagement, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Watch Professor Burns on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Oct. 15th!
- Was Ayn Rand Randian?
- Maker Faire: Where Libertarian Dreams Come True
- The Right Since Obama: The Rise of Market Fundamentalism
- My Appearance on the O'Reilly Factor
- In the Rand Archive, Part 6: On the Brandens, Continued
- Money in Politics: A Case Study from 1948
- 2009: The Year of Rand
- A question about Howard Zinn
- Bookplates: Personalize your copy of Goddess of the Market!
- In the Rand Archive, Part 5: On the Brandens
- In the Rand Archive, Part 4: What Will Happen Next?
- Top Three Questions about my interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show
- Book Tour video
- In the Rand Archives, Part 3: Publishing
- In the Rand Archives, Part 2: The edited letters and diaries
- In the Rand Archives, Part 1: Gaining Access
- Libertarian Squishiness: Or Why the Right is Not Conservative
- Thoughts on the literary present as it relates to Ayn Rand
- Ayn Rand heart Farrah Fawcett
- Is Obama the next FDR?
- Classic Books about Reconstruction
Personalize your copy -- or give a special gift -- with a free signed book plate! Click here for info.