Mark Walston is an award-winning writer, historian, creative director, poet, playwright, author of nine books and more than 300 essays and articles exploring a broad range of American social, cultural and historical topics. His broad experience and varied background includes tenures as historian for federal, state and local governments; writer and editor for public, private and non-profit organizations; and creative director for advertising agencies and marketing firms.  He has produced complex, integrated campaigns for some of the world’s best-known social-mission organizations, from Amnesty International to UNICEF.