The Thing About Falling: A Conversation with Tarriona “Tank” Ball Moderated by: Stevona Elem-Rogers

In The Thing About Falling, Tarriona “Tank” Ball offers a lyrical meditation on vulnerability, growth, and the courage required to begin again. Blending poetry, music, and personal reflection, Ball explores the creative and emotional terrain of falling: into love, into failure, into transformation. In conversation with Stevona Elem-Rogers, Ball reflects on artistry as both self-exploratory and community-building, examining how storytelling can hold space for uncertainty while illuminating strength. Together, they consider the power of voice, the necessity of risk, and the ways creative expression allows us not only to fall, but to rise with greater clarity and purpose. The New Orleans Book Festival brings the world’s leading authors to Tulane University for a multi-day celebration of their works. The Festival features both fiction and non-fiction and convenes readings, panel discussions, symposia and keynote speeches. It provides an opportunity for outlets, authors and readers to interact with each other in one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse cities in the world.