Join us on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. for a conversation with Colum McCann, the author of thirteen books and cofounder of Narrative 4. In conversation with Adam Davis and a Narrative 4 Fellow, McCann will explore the stories we tell about our nations.

Colum McCann is the author of eight novels, three collections of stories, and two works of nonfiction. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has received many international honors, including the U.S National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish arts academy, several European awards, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. He is the president and cofounder of Narrative 4, a nonprofit organization that uses personal storytelling to build empathy between young people. He lives in New York with his wife, Allison, and their family.

This conversation is part of our 2025–26 Consider This series, Beyond 250. 2026 will be the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and we’re looking at what this milestone means: How do we think about and experience equality, freedom, independence, tyranny, justice, union, and other ideas central to the Declaration and to our nation’s understanding of itself? How has the Declaration shaped the country we live in today, and how might we shape its future?

Tickets

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased through the Alberta Rose website.

To ensure that everyone who wants to attend is able to, a limited number of tickets are available for free. Use this form to request a free ticket.

Other ways to participate

Can't make it in person? Tune in from anywhere! The conversation will be streamed live, for free, on our YouTube channel, and will remain available for viewing after the program.

About the venue

Mobility access: The Alberta Rose Theatre is a wheelchair-accessible venue. Anyone who uses a wheelchair or other mobility device can reserve an accessible seat at the venue by emailing house@albertarosetheatre.com in advance of the event. Accessible bathrooms are to the right of the theater entrance. 

Parking: Free parking is available in the neighborhood around the theater. Parking spaces often fill up quickly. There is one disabled person parking space less than one block away on NE 30th Ave., in front of Emmanuel Church of God in Christ United, but the space does not have a curb cut or ramp. The closest disabled person parking space with curb cuts is four blocks west, at the southwest corner of Northeast 26th Avenue and Northeast Alberta Street. A map of disabled person parking spaces is available from the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Public transit: The TriMet Line 72 bus stops in front of the theater. Lines 70 and 17 have stops within four blocks of the venue.

Food and drink: Beverages and limited food are available for purchase and may be consumed anywhere in the theater during the event. Outside food and beverages are not permitted.

Lighting: The venue has appropriate overhead lighting before and after the conversation. During the conversation, lights are dimmed with staged lighting facing the stage. Lights in the lobby/bar remain on during the program. The auditorium does not have floor lighting in the aisles.

Sound: There will be music at a moderate volume before and after the event.

Read more about the Alberta Rose Theatre.

If you need accommodations to participate in this event, please email programs@oregonhumanities.org by January 22.

Thanks to our sponsors

This series is made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Oregon Cultural Trust, and Susan Hammer Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.