At The Charlotte Center’s November 2024 Forum, legendary New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik explored the election results and one of the most pressing questions of our time: Is Liberal Democracy Viable in the 21st Century?

What to make of America? How did we get to this moment? Where do we go from here?

Known for his sharp intellect and signature wit, Gopnik’s reflections are always rooted in "the central drama of liberal thought"—that tension between hope and reality, faith and skepticism. Drawing on his vast experience, including his celebrated work in The New Yorker and recent books, he shared his thoughts on the election and guided us through a nuanced exploration of what the future holds for democracy in an era of rapid change and division.

In his three decades with The New Yorker, Gopnick has written fiction, memoirs, critical essays, and reported pieces from at home and abroad. He was the magazine’s art critic from 1987 to 1995, and the Paris correspondent from 1995 to 2000. A three-time winner of the National Magazine Award for Essays and for Criticism. In January 2021 he was named a chevalier of the Legion D’Honneur, France’s highest civilian award. 

An international bestselling author, his newest book is All That Happiness Is (2024). He is also the author of A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventures of Liberalism (2019). Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the most eloquent voices of our time as we navigate the complexities of modern governance and civic life.

Moderated by Tyler Shaffer

Ty Shaffer is an attorney at Robinson Bradshaw,  practicing in the area of commercial real estate. Ty has Master’s degrees in Political Science and International Affairs and is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University Law School.  

Connect. Consider. Ignite. The program runs from 6:15 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A.

The Forum has a three-part structure:

• First third: Participants connect and build relationships in small break-out groups prompted by a question;

• Middle third: Participants consider a presentation that ends with the speaker posing a community-facing question;

• Final third: Participants discuss the question, igniting new ideas and interactions.

THE HUMANITIES | Languages | Literature | History | Philosophy | Religion | And More!

Participate in the important questions of our time. The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that brings people together to explore challenges and opportunities that affect human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination.

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