Obi Kaufmann and T.J. Stiles at Night of Ideas

Litquake is proud to again partner with San Francisco’s annual edition of the global marathon event Night of Ideas (Nuit des Idées), at the city’s Main Library. Presented in collaboration with the French Consulate in San Francisco, San Francisco Public Library (SFPL), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), and KQED, this free seven-hour marathon of philosophical debate, talks, performances, and music features top thinkers from San Francisco and beyond, in a format designed to spur dialogue on the theme “Living on the Edge.”

Events run from 7 pm to 2 am throughout the evening. Multiple stages throughout the Main Library will host concurrent programming, music and dance performances, yoga, breakout sessions and opportunities for engagement and debate amongst attendees. Litquake’s portion of the evening begins at 7:30 pm on the second floor of the Library, which will be themed “Wonder & Worry.” We are honored to present a lecture by Bay Area naturalist, painter, poet, and writer Obi Kaufmann, author of several books including the award-winning California Field Atlas, which blends science and art to illuminate the multifaceted array of the natural world. FREE, advanced registration TBA

Litquake’s second portion of the evening begins at 9:30 pm on the fourth floor of the Library at the information desk, which will be themed “Telling Heroes from Villains”. Americans have changed their minds about whether certain icons are villains or heroes—but T.J. Stiles argues that we’re still not asking the right questions about them, or about us.

About Night of Ideas
Co-produced in the United States by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Institut Français and local partners, Night of Ideas/Nuit des Idées has been mounted in New York City since 2015 and in Los Angeles since 2017. Last year, more than 6,000 guests attended Night of Ideas at the San Francisco Public Library. The event begins in Paris on January 30, 2020 and is held annually in more than 120 cities around the world.