Indigenous scientist and New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer, asks: How can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? How can we move away from the scarcity, competition, and hoarding of resources that our economy is rooted in? Join us on Indigenous […]

Indigenous scientist and New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer, asks: How can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? How can we move away from the scarcity, competition, and hoarding of resources that our economy is rooted in? Join us on Indigenous […]

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our October featured readers are Rhoni Blankenhorn & Alicia Wright. Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open mic […]

While other mice are gathering food for the winter, Frederick daydreams the summer away. But when fall weather comes, it is Frederick who has stored up something special for the long cold winter in a celebration of the idea that there is a place for all of us in this world. Originally a world premiere […]

Award-winning Russian-American novelist Gary Shteyngart offers an entirely original literary perspective, merging memoir and satire to create contemporary characters informed by his upbringing in Soviet Leningrad, his Jewish heritage, and his marriage and child with a woman of Korean descent. Join us for a conversation featuring Shteyngart’s signature blend of psyche and style as he […]

Princeton University President and legal scholar Christopher L. Eisgruber joins us in conversation to challenge the common assumptions about free speech on college campuses. He argues that most American colleges are largely getting free speech right, with students engaging in active and open debate on difficult and controversial topics. But the real crisis lies in […]

The last 10 years have been eventful, to say the least. And who better to reflect on our times than cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay? Gay joins us to discuss how politics, culture, and of course, feminism, have transformed since the release of the iconic text that is Bad Feminist. Bringing her quick […]

Internationally acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh joins us in conversation with UChicago professor Benjamin Morgan to illuminate the topics that have been central to Ghosh’s work over the last 25 years: imperialism and decolonization, climate change, and the stories of ordinary people making lives amid these historical forces. The first English-language writer to receive the Jnanpith […]

Helping to establish the field of pop economics, the bestselling book Freakonomics sparked both public interest and academic debate. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the original publication, author Stephen J. Dubner joins us to discuss how it all started (as a book applying economic principles to unconventional topics) and how it’s grown (into […]

Harvard professor and poetry expert Stephanie Burt joins us to explain the artistry — and the celebrity — of Taylor Swift. Through heartfelt critical appreciation, Burt analyzes Swift, her body of work, and the community that her art has fostered. Drawing from her 2024 Harvard course, Taylor Swift and Her World, as well as from […]

Join Steven Pinker, world-renowned cognitive scientist, Harvard professor, and one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World Today,” for a fascinating exploration of human psychology. In a lecture followed by a conversation with UChicago linguist and cognitive scientist Chris Kennedy, Pinker unravels how we think about what others are thinking about what we're […]

Join us for an evening of conversation and tomfoolery with the one and only Nick Offerman. Offerman makes his return to Chicago to discuss his newest work, Little Woodchucks, an illustrated woodworking guide with projects for the whole family. Combining Nick’s signature wry humor with joyfully illustrated project instructions, Little Woodchucks introduces young woodworkers-to-be to […]