The Stories We Carry: Writer Colum McCann in Conversation with Michigan Public's April Baer

Novelist Colum McCann joins Michigan Public's April Baer for a conversation on storytelling as an act of empathy and why listening matters now more than ever.

Stories have the power not only to entertain or inform, but to help us imagine lives beyond our own. In this special Jill S. Harris Memorial Lecture, internationally acclaimed novelist Colum McCann joins Michigan Public's April Baer for a conversation about storytelling as an act of empathy, curiosity, and human connection. Drawing on McCann's celebrated fiction and his work as co-founder of Narrative 4, the discussion will explore how stories invite us to listen more deeply, understand one another across differences, and expand our sense of what it means to be human. At a time when genuine listening can feel increasingly rare, this conversation will consider the unique role that literature and storytelling can play in helping us encounter one another with greater openness, compassion, and imagination.

Join us after the conversation for a Community Story Exchange led by Narrative 4 at 7pm! Registration required. More details at https://events.umich.edu/event/149899.