Keynote Illustration: John Searles

Creator

• Bob EcksteinFollow

Preview

Creation Date

3-27-2026

Description

Drawing of keynote speaker John Searles: "Stay in your lane? Don't listen to people who say that!"*

*"Literally, pun intended, I had just told those attending the session I spoke at, 30 minutes earlier, to 'Stay in your lane,' in reference to comparing yourself and doing what you know. Embarrassed!"

Bio: Bestselling novelist John Searles appears regularly on NBC’s Today to discuss his favorite reading selections. He is the author of the forthcoming novel Single Girls, set in the world of women’s magazines in the 1960s. His previous novels include Her Last Affair, Help for the Haunted, Strange but True and Boy Still Missing. In 2019, Strange but True was adapted for film and released in theaters nationwide. It is now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. He contributes to The New York Times and The Washington Post and for more than two decades was a top editor at Cosmopolitan. He has a master’s degree in creative writing from New York University and lives in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York.

Artist's Note

I spoke to John regarding Helen Brown, someone John knew well. I dealt with her family because I included her in my new book. I sent John an excerpt from the book along with the drawing of him. I’m not sure what he thinks!

Rights

Copyright © 2026, Bob Eckstein. All rights reserved.