A major motion picture is about to bring Andrew D. Kaufman’s critically acclaimed book The Gambler Wife to the big screen. But the story behind the story — and why it matters now — runs deeper.

In this timely talk, Kaufman shares the real-life journey of Anna Dostoyevskaya, the remarkable woman who helped save her famous husband Fyodor Dostoyevsky from destruction — and reshaped literary history. Her courage wasn’t loud. It was steadfast, resilient, rooted in love.

Kaufman also draws on his own journey — from teaching in elite college classrooms to leading transformative literature seminars in jails. There, he has seen firsthand how stories of human struggle and moral complexity can awaken hope in even the darkest places.

In a time when fear pushes us apart, it’s connection — quiet, human, real — that carries us through.

Perfect for audiences navigating burnout, uncertainty, or personal reinvention, this talk delivers not only insight but courage.

Takeaways:

• How to stay centered and lead with empathy when fear and division take hold.

• How vulnerability builds the trust and connection that help people—and the organizations they shape—thrive.

• How to stay grounded, compassionate, and human in moments of change and uncertainty.

When Andrew D. Kaufman’s book The Gambler Wife (PEN America finalist) was adapted into the international film The Idiots, he discovered powerful lessons that extend far beyond literature or film. Visiting the set in Poland, Kaufman witnessed his story reimagined by world-class directors and actors, and experienced what it means to entrust a vision to others and see it transformed into something larger than he could have created alone.

In this talk, Kaufman shares how that experience of watching his work come alive in new hands offers timeless lessons in leading through uncertainty, building trust across differences, and finding resilience in the face of change. His reflections provide audiences not just a behind-the-scenes glimpse of adaptation, but a deeply human reflection on the courage it takes to let go and embrace change.

Takeaways:

• How to let go of ownership and still hold on to what matters most.

• How to build trust by allowing others to bring their own strengths and perspectives.

• How transformation—even when unexpected or bittersweet—can deepen connection and open new possibilities.

Scholar and educational entrepreneur Andrew Kaufman shares inspirational lessons about reclaiming your power and purpose in life’s most challenging moments. Recounting what he learned from the sudden death of his father, encounters with inmates in his prison classes, and his bold decision to abandon a university professorship to pursue a higher passion, Kaufman inspires listeners to dig deep and discover new paths to meaning and fulfillment no matter the circumstances.

In this entertaining keynote scholar and educational entrepreneur Andrew Kaufman tells the improbable story of how, as a young man fresh out of a Stanford Ph.D. program, he struggled as a Hollywood actor, gambled wildly in Las Vegas, and was bilked out of large sums of money by an unscrupulous business partner. Some two decades later, however, those roller-coaster years would become the inspiration behind some of Kaufman’s greatest creative and professional successes: four books (one of which is being adapted into a feature film), a nationally recognized prison education program that is the subject of a PBS documentary, and a university professorship. Kaufman shares how his experiences have taught him the value of taking risks, believing in yourself, and transforming yesterday’s mistakes into tomorrow’s triumphs.