National Storytellers Event to Feature Keuka College Professor Emeritus

Longtime Occupational Therapy instructor Peter Talty headlines a night of personal tales delivered from Florida.


Wednesday, March 2, 2022

A retired Keuka College educator is about to share a very entertaining story with a national audience – and you can listen in.

Peter Talty, Professor Emeritus of Occupational Therapy, has been selected to share a tale at the Southwest Florida Storytellers Project on Tuesday, March 8.

The Storytellers Project is a nationwide series of live storytelling nights run by the USA Today Network where local residents share first-person true stories with their community. At Tuesday’s 7 p.m. event, Professor Talty will be joined by four other storytellers at a community center near his home in the Fort Myers area of Florida.

He’ll be in his element.

Professor Talty is a seasoned storyteller and published author, with a story collection, autobiography, and crime thriller to his credit.

Former colleague Dr. Chris Alterio, Dean of Keuka College’s School of Health and Human Services, says that’s part of what made Professor Talty such an effective instructor.

"Narrative is a form of inquiry that helps to uncover the meaning of personal experience,” he said. “That’s important for students as they are studying to become future health care professionals.”

A former Professor of the Year at Keuka College, Professor Talty enjoyed dual 40-year careers as both a practicing occupational therapist and as a professor of occupational therapy. Along with his writing, he continues his academic work as an adjunct instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University.

The story he plans to share Tuesday, "My Sneaker Journey,” is a corker of a tale about a friendship that came about thanks to the most unlikely of coincidences. It’s been written up in national publications, including the National Enquirer.

Join Professor Talty as he shares his story live, or watch a recorded version at your leisure, by visiting The Storytellers Project YouTube page.