2026-27 Season: Preserving Human Stories

This season invites us to explore how human stories are created, shared, preserved and sometimes distorted in an era shaped by technology and complex public discourse. From our marquee event with actor and writer Jesse Eisenberg to additional workshops, panels, and hands-on experiences, our event lineup offers something for everyone. 

Premier Speaker: Jesse Eisenberg

Date: Sept. 18, 2026
Location: Stewart Theatre

Academy Award-nominated actor, writer and filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg took the stage for an evening of conversation, live storytelling and a few surprises.

From stories about identity and technology to the ways we preserve the moments that make us human, the evening offered plenty to think about — and plenty to laugh about, too. Recap the night.

More Events

Flash Film Fest

Hosted by NC State Libraries, Flash Film Fest is a hands-on filmmaking experience that gives students the tools, inspiration and community to tell their own stories on film. The festival includes filmmaking workshops and a 48-hour filmmaking challenge, culminating in a public screening and awards ceremony.

Key dates:

• Sept. 2–Oct. 21: Filmmaking workshops and talks
• Oct. 23–25: 48-hour filmmaking challenge
• Nov. 5: Screening and Awards Ceremony

Book Event: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Sept. 29 | 6:30 p.m.
Quail Ridge Books

Quail Ridge Books will host a conversation with English professor Jason Miller, the author of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood. David Menconi, the 2019 North Carolina Piedmont laureate, will introduce the program, and Jaki Shelton Green, the ninth poet laureate of North Carolina, will moderate the conversation. Paid guests will receive a copy of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, guaranteed entry to the event and a seat in the reserved section.

NC State Fiction Contest

Entry Deadline: Oct. 5

The annual NC State Fiction Contest invites writers across North Carolina to share original stories and explore the power of fiction to preserve, interpret and imagine human experiences. This year’s guest judge is author Melissa Faliveno.

Film Screening: Freeman Vines

Oct. 22 | 5:30 p.m.
Gregg Museum of Art and Design

Hosted by the Department of History, this screening of Freeman Vines explores the life and work of North Carolina artist Freeman Vines, whose hand-carved guitars draw on the history of a 1930 lynching in his community. Following the film, Vines’ sister, Alice Vines, and the filmmakers will discuss the complicated intersections of art, memory and history, followed by an opportunity to view Vines’ striking Skull Guitar.

The Human Factor: Sports Storytellers

Nov. 12 | 5:30 p.m.
Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center

Join us as NC State alumni Ari Chambers, Lyndsay Signor, Jason Spells and John Ward share their journeys and insights through the world of sports broadcasting, production and marketing.

Film Screening: Beyond the Athlete

Nov. 17 | 6:30 p.m.
Witherspoon Student Center

Hosted by the School of Social Work and faculty member Ebony Perez, this film is anchored by the personal stories of former elite athletes, coaches, clinicians and loved ones, offering an unfiltered look at mental health in competitive sports. It captures profound moments of vulnerability and resilience to challenge stigma, encourage open dialogue and foster greater understanding of mental health across sports and beyond.

More-than-Human Stories

“Probably a crab would be filled with a sense of personal outrage if it could hear us class it without ado or apology as a crustacean, and thus dispose of it. ‘I am no such thing,’ it would say, ‘I am MYSELF, MYSELF alone.'” –William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, 1902

How do we humans preserve more-than-human stories? How do we interview what does not share our language? This session offers original narratives and visual projects developed by students in graduate and undergraduate sections of an Environmental Communication course that tell an environmental story from an intentionally non-human perspective.