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JOHN MICHAEL LOCKHART began chronicling the lives of family members when he was ten. As a student journalist, he secured interviews with legendary radio and television icons Paul Harvey and Art Linkletter for his high school newspaper. During his twenty-five years as a community newspaper publisher, he chronicled the lives and livelihoods of people living along the Mississippi River. The subjects of his stories have come from all walks of life, ranging in age from kindergarteners to centenarians, and include Olympians, professional athletes, Hollywood A-listers, award-winning journalists, and Pulitzer-nominated authors. 

His book, STORIES THAT DEFINE US: Chronicling and Preserving Your Family Legacy, includes interviews with four dozen subjects conducted over 30 years, and reflects the diversity of his interview subjects. 

An avid traveller, John Michael has visited 60 countries and, in 2015-16, slept on all seven continents in 10 months. 

He is currently booking speaking engagements from April 2026 through March 2027.