Meet Mark
Mix a bit of Mr. Rogers, a touch of Andy Griffith, the nerdiness of Bill Nye, the enthusiasm of Jack Hannah and you have a Mark Daniel!
Mark is a special guest to Libraries Everywhere! Joyously celebrating the fun and joy of books with Summer Readers every year!
10 Interesting Things about Mark
1. He is Left-handed.
2. Has twin sons who are Eagle Scouts.
3. Mark was invited Twice to perform at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
4. He has loved dinosaurs, comic books, reading, and magic tricks since he was a kid. (Read an amazing article on kids with intense interests here.)
5. An awesome children's librarian guided him for years as a kid.
6. He's had Crohn's Disease since he was 14. (and has always kept a full and busy schedule, through terrific medical care.)
7. He writes in the early morning, and again in early evening.
8. Tami and he produce and direct Two Conferences for Performers who gather from all over the world, one in Atlanta- KIDabra and the other in LA - KAX.
9. Mark has long mentored, taught, and helped launch an entire industry of performers.
10. So far, over three million kids have seen him at Schools, Libraries, Performing Arts Centers and Reading/Storytelling festivals.
Bonus Things for Folks who Love Stuff Like That:
11. Mark was invited and presented for The Imagination Library Homecoming in Pigeon Forge. (And missed meeting Dolly by minutes.)
12. Yes, he has awards, but he is much more impressed that his brother Andrew's partner Kenneth has 1 Emmy & 4 Emmy nominations!
13. Mark's dad had an antique shop in their little town, and a frequent visitor and friend was the Number 1 Storyteller in the World at the time, Jackie Torrence, a children's librarian from High Point, NC. (Mark also missed meeting her because of his travels.)
14. During his second trip to the White House Egg Roll, he ducked into the Green Room tent which was warm, and dry on a rainy spring morning. He sat and chatted over bagels and hot chocolate with a very nice fellow whose name he never asked. Only afterwards, would he realize he had spent time with the second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin!
15. Mark always knew his grandfather was a fiddle player. Astoundingly, he didn't discover until a few years ago that he was in a band named
The Piedmont Ramblers which traveled around central NC, and played country music shows. Coming on the heels of the advent of country music, they toured for several years in the early 30s. In between sets they even had comic relief from a circus clown and his Jack Russell terrier.
Apparently, Mark got the performing gene honest! Thanks Grandpa!