Keep thinking weird, keep it curious.
Discover carefully curated public lectures, author talks, debates and intellectual events in Austin, USA — selected by The Mindful City editorial team.
Last updated: September 13, 2026
State Farm TV · University of Texas at Austin · September 13, 2026
University of Texas Volleyball vs Wisconsin - presented by State Farm TV: ESPN Streaming Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/e32b39e9-5c5a-48c5-a1c1-e9fea1e36b7d
Michael Pollan · Austin Central Library · September 14, 2026
Michael Pollan presents new research on sustainable agriculture and the relationship between soil health and human diets. The talk includes a moderated Q&A and local food-focused r…
Michael Pollan · UT Austin - Bass Lecture Hall · September 14, 2026
Journalist and author Michael Pollan presents new reporting on sustainable agriculture, food policy, and the cultural dimensions of eating. A moderated discussion will explore prac…
Walter Isaacson · Long Center for the Performing Arts · September 14, 2026
Biographer Walter Isaacson gives a keynote on how technological change shapes the lives of innovators and the craft of narrative nonfiction. The program includes a moderated conver…
Jia Tolentino · BookPeople · September 14, 2026
New essays and a conversation about media, technology, and culture, followed by audience Q&A. BookPeople hosts the author for a signing after the event.
Elizabeth Kolbert · Blanton Museum of Art · September 14, 2026
Environmental journalist Elizabeth Kolbert presents a lecture on biodiversity loss, climate impacts, and the journalistic responsibility to explain complex science. The presentatio…
Atul Gawande · Long Center for the Performing Arts · September 14, 2026
Surgeon and public-health author Atul Gawande discusses systems, errors, and the moral dimensions of modern medicine. The event includes a moderated conversation and audience Q&A.
Atul Gawande · University of Texas at Austin · September 15, 2026
Surgeon, writer, and public health advocate Atul Gawande delivers a public lecture on improving systems of care and the ethical dilemmas facing clinicians today. The talk will incl…
Atul Gawande · University of Texas at Austin (Gearing Lecture Hall) · September 15, 2026
Surgeon and public-health writer Atul Gawande presents on lessons learned from recent pandemics and the ethical choices facing health systems. The lecture is open to the public wit…
Elizabeth Kolbert · Blanton Museum of Art · September 15, 2026
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert discusses the latest science and reporting on climate change and its implications for policy and everyday life. The talk will be fol…
Elizabeth Kolbert · Long Center for the Performing Arts · September 15, 2026
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert presents new reporting on the state of the climate and practical responses from communities and scientists. She will take audien…
Atul Gawande · UT Austin - Bass Concert Hall · September 15, 2026
Surgeon and public-health writer Atul Gawande examines how institutions shape moral choices in modern medicine. The lecture will be followed by a moderated audience Q&A and book si…
Elizabeth Kolbert · Blanton Museum of Art · September 15, 2026
Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction, presents a lecture on biodiversity loss, climate change, and the science behind her reporting. The talk will connect recent resea…
Roxane Gay · BookPeople · September 15, 2026
Author Roxane Gay reads from her new essay collection and discusses storytelling, vulnerability, and the politics of representation. The reading will be followed by a moderated con…
Elizabeth Kolbert · Blanton Museum of Art · September 15, 2026
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Kolbert discusses the science and human causes behind rapid biodiversity loss and what it means for future ecosystems. She will take audienc…
Rebecca Solnit · Austin Central Library · September 15, 2026
Essayist and cultural critic Rebecca Solnit explores hope, activism, and storytelling as tools for social change. The talk pairs personal reflection with practical approaches to ci…
Maria Konnikova · BookPeople · September 15, 2026
Psychology and narrative blend in Maria Konnikova's newest book tour stop where she explores how chance shapes our choices. She will read selections and take audience questions abo…
Atul Gawande · University of Texas at Austin (School of Public Health) · September 15, 2026
Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande explores how medicine meets the human question of mortality and what systems-level changes can improve care. The talk will include time for audience…
Colson Whitehead · BookPeople · September 15, 2026
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead reads from his latest novel and talks about craft, race, and American history. A moderated Q&A follows with a book signing after the…
Yuval Noah Harari · Paramount Theatre · September 15, 2026
Historian and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari explores how technology, data, and narrative are reshaping human societies. Harari's talk concludes with audience questions in t…