The 2026 Bale Boone Symposium An Evening with Ted Chiang

Join the Gaines Center for the Humanities at 6.00pm on Thursday October 6, 2026 for the 2026 Bale Boone Symposium featuring acclaimed author Ted Chiang. 

Ted Chiang is an American science fiction writer, whose work has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus awards. He published the short story collections Stories of Your Life and Others, the titular novella going on to inspire Dennis Villenue’s 2016 film, Arrival.

Through the Bale Boone Symposium, the Gaines Center promotes dialogue, intellectual exploration, and partnerships among campus, Bluegrass, and Commonwealth communities by sponsoring an array of public humanities and arts events. These events are a testament to the influence and memory of Joy Bale Boone and George Street Boone, who were committed to the betterment of the humanities. 

TICKETS: FREE, but must reserve seats online or through the SCFA Ticket Office at (859) 257-4929.

Audience members are also invited to submit questions for Chiang in advance, with select questions potentially being asked during the onstage conversation.

Learn more about this event and the Gaines Center's series "Year of the Human Algorithm."