In Conversation with Dr. Martha Beck
Special Guests: Bob Roth & Kate Baer
Please join us in celebrating Maria Shriver’s I Am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home. A book like no other, I Am Maria weaves Shriver’s hard-earned wisdom with her own deeply personal poetry. I Am Maria reminds readers there is strength and love on the other side of all of our hardest days. Maria will be joined in conversation by Martha Beck, and the evening will feature meditation, music, and intimate discussions about life’s defining moments—the heartbreaks that shape us, the healing that transforms us, and the journey back to ourselves.
Drawing from her own life experiences, I Am Maria tells the story of how Maria emerged from heartbreak and uncertainty—universal moments in every life lived fully—with renewed clarity and strength. The poems in this collection speak to timeless themes of love, loss, longing, and healing, offering readers a comforting reminder that hope can be found even after the most difficult moments.
Maria’s legacy is built on social impact, deep empathy, and a profound understanding of human connection. Through her leadership, activism, and media presence, she continues to inspire and uplift others. Now, with the release of I Am Maria, she offers these deeply personal poems as a guide for those navigating their own life journeys. Through her intimate reflections, Maria invites readers to shed self-criticism, embrace every part of themselves, and discover the profound healing that comes with forgiveness and self-compassion. The book encourages readers to rediscover poetry as a tool for self-exploration, paving the way to uncover a deeper version of themselves.
Maria Shriver is a mother and grandmother, a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer. She is the author of seven New York Times bestselling books, the former First Lady of California, an NBC News Special Anchor, founder of Shriver Media, The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, co-founder of the brain health brand MOSH, and the publisher of The Open Field. When she’s not thinking or writing, she can be found hanging with her kids and grandkids.
Dr. Martha Beck, PhD, is a bestselling author, coach, and speaker. She has spent a lifetime offering powerful, practical, and entertaining teachings that help people improve every aspect of their lives. Martha holds three Harvard degrees in social science, and Oprah Winfrey has called her “one of the smartest women I know.” The founder of Wayfinder Life Coach Training, Martha is a passionate and engaging speaker, and her teachings are very popular for their unique blend of science, spirituality, and humor. Martha’s recent book, The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self, was an instant New York Times Best Seller and Oprah’s Book Club selection.
Special Guests:
Bob Roth is one of the most experienced and sought-after meditation teachers in America. Over the past 40 years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation to many thousands of people and authored an authoritative book on the subject, fittingly entitled, Transcendental Meditation, which has been translated into 20 languages.
Kate Baer is the 3x New York Times bestselling author of What Kind Of Woman, I Hope This Finds You Well, & And Yet. Her work has also been published in The New Yorker, Literary Hub, Huffington Post and The New York Times.
The 2024/25 Author Events Series is presented by Comcast.
Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians.
All tickets come with a copy of the book!
All tickets are non-refundable.
