Humans are storytelling animals. Stories are what make our societies possible. Countless books celebrate their virtues. But Jonathan Gottschall, an expert on the science of stories, argues that there is a dark side to storytelling we can no longer ignore. Yes, storytelling can bind groups together, but it is also the main force dragging people apart. And it’s the best method we’ve ever devised for manipulating each other by circumventing rational thought.

Jonathan Gottschall joins us live at Alphabet City to share the science behind storytelling and his quest to ask “How can we save the world from stories?” Joined in conversation by T. Scott Frank.

We think this is a fascinating debate to hold in the center of a literary organization whose mission brings a commitment to sharing stories from around the world. We hope you’ll join in.

Praised by Steven Pinker as "our deepest thinker about the powerful role of stories in our lives," Jonathan Gottschall is a Distinguished Fellow in the English Department at Washington & Jefferson College. His writing at the intersection of science and art has been covered in-depth by numerous publications and public radio programs.   Jonathan is the author or editor of eight books.

Scott Frank is an emeritus professor of communication arts at Washington & Jefferson College.  He is a playwright and the ghost writer of a number of the When“It” Happens! books.  His plays have been performed in Pittsburgh, New York, and London.  A proud Northsider, he lives with his wife Sarah in the Bonny Blink on Morrell Street, Brighton Heights.

Jonathan Gottschall: "The Story Paradox"