Good storytelling has the power to transport people to a different place, time or life experience.
This year's Tucson Humanities Festival, presented by the University of Arizona College of Humanities, will tap into the theme of storytelling throughout the month of October with both in-person and virtual events.
Headlining the festival will be best-selling author Walter Isaacson, who will appear live at Centennial Hall on Oct. 8. Other special guests at the festival include acclaimed Mexican-American author Luis Alberto Urrea on Oct. 14 and filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña of the award-winning PBS docuseries "Asian Americans" on Oct. 19.
The 12th annual festival also will feature events held in partnership with the American Literary Translators Association and faculty panels centered on religious healing, stories of transformation and scary stories.
"Stories define the human experience," said Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities. "Across cultures and across time, there are stories of creation, love, adventure, betrayal, hardship and triumph, each echoing universal truths. As humans, we crave stories and the experiences of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Storytelling is how we unlock our imaginations and connect with one another."
Other talks slated for this month include:
- A Life in Stories: Visions & Journeys in the Land of Mystery featuring Cherokee storyteller Writingbear on Monday, Oct. 4
- Border Medicine: Origins of Mexican American Religious Healing on Oct. 12
- Sequins & Stories: Drag Queens & Kids Learning From Each Other, featuring drag performer Lil Miss Hot Mess, on Oct. 26
- In Search of Fright: Tales of Monsters, Ghosts & the Undead on Oct. 27
For more information and a full schedule, visit humanitiesfestival.arizona.edu.
