A thought-provoking exploration of the power of storytelling with bestselling author, journalist, and essayist Susan Orlean. Join us Tuesday, April 22, 2025, as she shares observations on what a life in words has taught her about the nature of the American character and culture.

Endlessly curious, open to the unexpected, and determined to find the authentic story, Susan Orlean has explored everything from travel and fashion to baseball and animals, crafting literary non-fiction in a voice that is both original and eloquent.

Orlean is not only the author of bestselling books such as The Library Book and The Orchid Thief—which was made into the movie Adaptation, starring Meryl Streep and Nicolas Cage—she has also been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992 and has written for Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, and the Boston Globe.