EVENT: “The Future of the Truth” will look at how America sees honesty and truth today, in light of the new administration and ongoing trends in literature, law and journalism. The two-day conference at UCI features such internationally renowned speakers as Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer; Mike Murphy, political consultant for John McCain, Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush; and Joel Benenson, chief campaign strategist for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

WHEN/WHERE: 3:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in EDU 1111 at the UCI School of Law (bldg. 3, grid F11 on campus map: https://communications.uci.edu/documents/pdf/UCI_16_map_campus_core.pdf)

INFORMATION: Free and open to the public. Media planning to attend should contact Annabel Adams at 949-824-8925 or amadams@uci.edu. Parking is complimentary for media who RSVP in advance. Visitor parking is available in the Social Science Parking Structure (grid F10 on campus map) for $2 per hour or $10 per day.

HIGHLIGHTS:     

Feb. 3

4:30 p.m.   Keynote address by Maggie Nelson, MacArthur Fellow and author of The Argonauts

5:30 p.m.   “Memoir & Fiction” panel, featuring Maggie Nelson, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Danzy Senna, M.F.A. ’96, novelist and essayist, author of You Are Free and Caucasia and Hector Tobar, M.F.A. ’00, best-selling author and New York Times contributing op-ed writer

Feb. 4

10 a.m.     “Journalism and Truth” panel, featuring  Ruth Franklin, book critic and biographer, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life,  Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, journalist and author, Random Family, Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker staff writer, former dean of Columbia School of Journalism and David Ulin, book critic (formerly of the L.A. Times) and author, Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles
Moderated by Barry Siegel, director, UCI’s Literary Journalism Program

Noon         “Campaign Truths” panel, featuring Joel Benenson and Mike Murphy

BACKGROUND:  “The Future of the Truth” is presented by UCI’s Forum for the Academy & the Public and is organized by English professor Amy Wilentz. Co-sponsors include the School of Humanities, School of Law, literary journalism program, Illuminations initiative, Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellows Series, International Center for Writing & Translation, Center for Critical Korean Studies, Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture, Department of Chicano/Latino Studies and Los Angeles Review of Books. For a full schedule of events and speakers, visit http://sites.uci.edu/futuretruth.