2025

Woodworking and Tomfoolery

Nick Offerman and Lee Buchanan in conversation with Leslie Buxbaum

UChicago’s Leslie Buxbaum hosts 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.

An Evening with Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker in conversation with Jason Bridges

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. With UChicago philosopher Jason Bridges, Pinker unravels how we think about what others are thinking about what we're thinking — a cyclical process that creates "common knowledge" and profoundly shapes our social, political, and economic lives.

On the Genius of Taylor Swift

Stephanie Burt in conversation with Paula Harper

Harvard professor and poetry expert Stephanie Burt speaks with UChicago’s Paula Harper about 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.

Lyric Opera of Chicago: A Conversation on Medea

Featuring Opera Insights from UChicago Classics, Theater, and Music faculty

Chicago Humanities is partnering with Lyric Opera of Chicago to present Medea Opera Insights. Featuring distinguished professors Sarah Nooter, Martha Feldman, and David Levin from the University of Chicago’s acclaimed Classics, Theater, and Music programs, alongside the world-class artists bringing this rarely performed grand opera to life at Lyric, this event offers a rich blend of ancient storytelling and contemporary artistic insight.

20 Years of Freakonomics

Stephen J. Dubner in conversation with Dean Deborah L. Nelson

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Freakonomics, author Stephen J. Dubner is joined by Deborah Nelson, Dean of the Arts & Humanities Division at the University of Chicago, for a wide-ranging conversation that demonstrates how the signature Freakonomics method is a robust and insightful analysis of the economic value in higher education and the humanities writ large.

Art Work

Sally Mann in conversation with Laura Letinsky

One of the most acclaimed artists of our time and New York Times-bestselling author Sally Mann joins UChicago professor Laura Letinsky to discuss the challenges and pleasures of the creative process — from the hazards of early promise to the role of luck, risk-taking, and when to say yes. Mann’s much-anticipated new book, Art Work, offers a spellbinding mix of wild and illuminating stories, practical (and some impractical) advice, and life lessons.

My Perfect Console: Year of Games Edition with Evan Narcisse

Evan Narcisse in conversation with Simon Parkin

Join us at the Year of Games Kick-Off Symposium at the University of Chicago for a Saturday keynote conversation with Evan Narcisse, renowned journalist, comic book writer, and video game narrative designer. Narcisse will join journalist and author Simon Parkin for a live recording of Parkin’s podcast My Perfect Console.

Wild Fictions

Amitav Ghosh in conversation with Benjamin Morgan

Internationally acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh is joined by UChicago’s 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 Award, India’s highest literary honor, Ghosh helps readers understand the world in new and urgent ways.

10 Years of Being a Bad Feminist

Roxane Gay in conversation with Daisy Delogu

Gay discusses with UChicago's Daisy Delogu how politics, culture, and, of course, feminism have transformed since the release of her iconic text, Bad Feminist. Bringing her quick wit and razor-sharp criticism, Gay breaks down how the culture we consume becomes who we are and provides us with some hope for the next 10 years.

Vera, or Faith

Gary Shteyngart in conversation with Ania Aizman

Award-winning Russian-American novelist Gary Shteyngart speaks with UChicago’s Ania Aizman about his new book Vera, or Faith: a poignant, sharp-eyed, and bitterly funny tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart.