Consider This: The Stories We Tell About Our Nations with Colum McCann

Join Oregon Humanities on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 7pm, for a conversation with author Colum McCann about the stories nations tell and the ways they shape our lives. Onstage with Adam Davis, McCann will explore where national myths originate and the power they carry, how a country’s self-narrative diverges from the stories told about it, and what it means to consider storytelling itself a democratic act.

Colum McCann is the author of eight novels, three collections of stories, and two works of nonfiction. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has received many international honors, including the U.S National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish arts academy, several European awards, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. He is the president and cofounder of Narrative 4, a nonprofit organization that uses personal storytelling to build empathy between young people. He lives in New York with his wife, Allison, and their family.

This conversation is part of our 2025–2026 Consider This series, Beyond 250, exploring the meaning and impacts of the nation’s semiquincentennial.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased through the Alberta Rose website.

To ensure that everyone who wants to attend is able to, a limited number of tickets are available for free. Use this form to request a free ticket.

Can’t make it in person? The conversation will be streamed live, for free, on the Oregon Humanities YouTube channel, and will remain available for viewing after the program.

Event Accessibility:

• Wheelchair-accessible venue
• Accessible parking