You’re invited to the forum
featuring MEGHAN O’GIEBLYN!
November 10, 2026 at THE Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City
Belief, Doubt, Technology, and the Search for Meaning
What does it mean to be human in a world that increasingly challenges what we believe about ourselves?
Few contemporary writers explore this question with the insight, candor, and literary imagination of Meghan O’Gieblyn.
An acclaimed essayist, critic, and author, O’Gieblyn writes at the intersection of philosophy, religion, technology, and personal experience. Her work takes up some of the most compelling questions of our time: What can we know about ourselves? How much control do we have over our thoughts and actions? Where do we turn for meaning when familiar beliefs no longer provide answers?
Her books illuminate these questions from different directions. Interior States examines faith, identity, and the cultural landscape of the American Midwest. God, Human, Animal, Machine explores how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping our understanding of consciousness, personhood, and the soul. Her newly published memoir, Will and Attention, turns inward, examining the mysteries of agency, desire, and the often uneasy relationship between what we intend and what we do.
Throughout her writing, O’Gieblyn brings philosophical depth to deeply personal questions. Her essays, appearing in The New Yorker, Harper’s, and The New York Review of Books, are distinguished by their intellectual curiosity, elegant prose, and willingness to follow difficult questions wherever they lead.
On November 10, The Charlotte Center welcomes Meghan O’Gieblyn for an evening of conversation about the ideas that shape our lives. From the promises of technology to the mysteries of the human mind, from religious belief to the search for purpose, we'll explore what her writing reveals about the challenges and possibilities of being human.
The conversation will be moderated by Jessica Parker, Ed.D., co-host of the Women Talkin’ ’Bout AI podcast, and will include questions from the audience.
Join us for an evening of ideas, reflection, and connection with one of the most compelling literary voices writing today.
Event Details
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City
320 E. 9th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
5:30–6:30 PM: Reception and conversation
6:30–8:00 PM: Forum conversation and audience Q&A
8:00–8:30 PM: Book signing
General Admission: $40
RESERVE YOUR SEAT
About The Charlotte Center
The Charlotte Center for the Humanities & Civic Imagination brings people together to explore the ideas and questions that shape our common life. Through public conversations with leading writers, thinkers, and artists, we invite our community to connect, consider new perspectives, and imagine possibilities for human flourishing.
Connect. Consider. Ignite.
Connect. Consider. Ignite. Doors open at 5:30 with catered reception. The program runs from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A. Book signing from 8:00 PM to 8:30 PM
The Forum has a three-part structure:
• First third: Opening remarks, performance, and audience prompt and connection;
• Middle third: Featured presentation with audience Q&A;
• Final third: Audience prompt and closing.
THE HUMANITIES | Languages | Literature | History | Philosophy | Religion | And More
About The Charlotte Center
The Charlotte Center is a community forum and civic action catalyst that invites curious people into meaningful connection and problem-solving informed by deep consideration of the human experience. Our mission is to help people and communities flourish.
The Charlotte Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. We are supported by individual donors, grants, sponsorships, and revenue from our programs. We invite you to join us.
Participate in the important questions of our time. The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that brings people together to explore challenges and opportunities that affect human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination.
