As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Stacey Abrams, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., and Viet Thanh Nguyen examine how storytelling shapes our shared national identity.

In Coded Justice, Stacey Abrams returns to fiction with a suspenseful legal thriller that follows Avery Keene, a former Supreme Court clerk turned investigator, into the high‑stakes world of artificial intelligence, mystery, and moral consequence. Set against the cutting‑edge possibilities and dangers of AI in health and law, the novel weaves legal intrigue, ethical dilemmas, and richly drawn characters into a story that is as gripping as it is timely. Moderated by journalist and author Molly Jong‑Fast, Abrams explores the narrative arc of Coded Justice alongside the real‑world questions it raises: how technology reshapes justice, where human judgment must intervene, and what storytelling reveals about our hopes and fears for the future of law and society. Their conversation reflects on the craft of fiction as a lens for understanding the human stakes behind algorithms and institutions.

Roxane Gay’s work has expanded the conversation around feminism, inviting readers to grapple with complexity, contradiction, and inclusion. Moderated by Imani Perry, this discussion examines how feminist thought continues to evolve alongside shifting cultural and political landscapes. Together, they explore how writers challenge expectations, create space for marginalized voices, and push the boundaries of how we understand gender, power, and equality.

To mark America’s 250th anniversary, bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson takes audiences on a deep dive into the creation of one of the most influential sentences in history: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Moderated by David Brooks, Isaacson explores the sentence origins, the revolutionary ideas behind it, and how this defining principle continues to shape American politics and identity today.

Financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin joins moderator David M. Rubenstein to examine the causes and consequences of the 1929 stock market crash. Drawing on his book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History — and How It Shattered a Nation, Sorkin explores the greed, risk-taking, and human drama that led to the Great Depression, revealing lessons about markets, leadership, and economic resilience that still resonate today.

In his book A World Appears, acclaimed author Michael Pollan dives into the cutting edge of the science of consciousness. Drawing on philosophical, scientific, and artistic perspectives, Pollan explores the nature of awareness and the human experience. In conversation with bestselling author and journalist Michael Lewis, they discuss how perception, imagination, and attention shape each of our unique lived experiences.

Neurosurgeon and medical journalist Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins Walter Isaacson to explore practical strategies for living a pain-free life. Drawing from his book It Doesn’t Have to Hurt, Gupta offers evidence-based insights on preventing and managing pain, promoting wellness, and improving quality of life, all without giving up the things you love.

Turbulent political discourse is nothing new to America. Throughout its history, division and dissent have repeatedly reshaped the nation’s political landscape. From the American Revolution and Civil War to the Obama era, debates about liberty, democracy, and national identity have defined the state of the union. In his historical anthology American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Jon Meacham traces the evolution of American democracy from its earliest roots to today. Joined by civic leader and former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu, Meacham explores the vital roles of dissent, civic engagement, and leadership in shaping the nation’s past, present, and future.

From New Orleans to the Mississippi Delta to Harlem, place shapes who we become—and how power operates. This panel explores how geography, migration, and regional identity influence American life, politics, and culture. Smith, Perry, and Blow reflect on how landscapes carry histories of inequality and resistance, and how writing about place can illuminate both personal identity and collective struggle.