"Bill Harley has the uncanny ability to reaffirm life for listeners, be they five or fifty. Humor, empathy, intelligence and reality all radiate from his work and from him." - Penguin Books A Grammy award winning artist, Bill uses song and story paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, schooling and family life. His work spans the generation gap, reminds us of our common humanity and challenges us to be our very best selves. A prolific author and recording artist, Bill is also a regular commentator for NPR's All Things Considered and featured on PBS. Harley joined the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence in 2001 and tours nationwide as an author and performing artist. With these considerable talents, Bill considers his real work to be using these skills to encourage his audience to see the world anew and to experience "live art", to honor the emotional lives of children and adults and finally, to pass along a love of language and music. "Bill Harley takes his life and turns it into art. Sounds simple until you actually try to do it. That Harley's art seems so effortless only underscore his mastery." -Nuvo Newsweekly Praise for 50 Ways To Fool Your Mother: He has a way of freezing personal experiences, injecting a shot of skewed perspective and dissolving you into a pool of laughter, leaving you feeling that it's OK.' L.A. Parent Magazine 'If you've got a young'un or have been one, he has something to say to you (whimsically, of course) that will stay with you.' The Providence Phoenix 'My name is Nicholas and I am a preschool teacher/children's musician. I am contacting you for several reasons, but first and foremost to offer my gratitude to you for creating such great music and in many ways inspiring me to follow a similar path. When I was seven years old, and a second grader at Fales Elementary school you came and put on a very memorable performance. To this day (some 20 years later) I can recall hearing you sing and tell stories. I am just grateful for the opportunity to say thank you for enriching my childhood with great music.'