Ralph Keyes

Ralph at Desk

Photo by Nindy Silvie

Ralph Keyes is the author of fifteen books. His bestseller Is There Life After High School? was made into a Broadway musical that is still produced in this country and abroad. The Courage to Write – which John Jakes called “one of the two or three best books on writing I’ve ever read” – has been in print continuously for fourteen years. Chancing It was a New York Times “Notable Book,” and Timelock was selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club. Keyes has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, ABC World News Tonight, and 20/20. He has been a frequent guest on NPR radio shows such as All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation and Fresh Air. [More]

What's New

Ralph was recently interviewed by Brooke Gladstone on NPR's On the Media.

Latest Book

Upcoming Book

This book examines "retrotalk," words and phrases in common use that are rooted in our past. These range from you sound like a broken record to going postal. They come from old ads (Cha ching!), comic strips (Alphonse and Gaston), radio shows (Gang Busters) and myriad other sources. In this delightful look at the often surprising, always intriguing origins of words in common use Ralph Keyes entertains as he informs. [More]

In this engaging, thoughtful book, Ralph Keyes explores where euphemisms come from, why we use them, and what they tell us about who we are. Keyes suggests that a good way to determine what concerned human beings at any given moment is to examine their verbal evasions. Why did die become kick the bucket, underwear become unmentionables, and having an affair become hiking the Appalachian trail? [More]

Author

In addition to his many books (see below), Ralph has written hundreds of articles and essays. One article he co-authored won the McKinsey Award for Best Article of the Year in the Harvard Business Review. A list of his articles follow, some of which are reproduced in their entirety. [More]

Speaker

In addition to writing books and articles, Ralph lectures on subjects such as “The Courage to Write,” "Is There Life After High School?" and “Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins.” This section will tell you about the many programs Ralph offers, his previous speeches, and those that are upcoming. [More]

Etc.

Ralph is often asked about how he writes his books, and where. This section includes a virtual tour of Ralph’s office, and the archives that house his research materials. It also includes a look at Ralph’s toaster museum. [More]