Tulane hosts conversation with bestselling authors Walter Isaacson and Michael Lewis
The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University will host nationally bestselling and critically acclaimed authors Walter Isaacson and Michael Lewis at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 in McAlister Auditorium. The award-winning authors will discuss their newest works – Isaacson’s biography Elon Musk and Lewis’ portrait of Sam Bankman-Fried titled Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon.
Scheduled to be released on Sept. 12, Elon Musk is an intimate look at one of this era’s most fascinating and controversial innovators, a pioneer in the world of electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence. It is the latest biography by Isaacson, the Leonard A. Lauder Professor of American History and Values in Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts.
In Going Infinite, Lewis follows the meteoric rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, who became the world's youngest billionaire as founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The book, slated for release on Oct. 3, has been described as both a psychological portrait of a preternaturally gifted 'thinking machine' and a wild financial roller-coaster ride.
“As two of the great thinkers and authors of our time, Walter Isaacson and Michael Lewis help us better understand the world we live in through their insightful and meticulously researched writing.”
- President Michael A. Fitts
“As two of the great thinkers and authors of our time, Walter Isaacson and Michael Lewis help us better understand the world we live in through their insightful and meticulously researched writing,” said Tulane University President Michael A. Fitts. “This event is a rare opportunity to hear them discuss their latest works in dialogue. At Tulane, we are committed to facilitating such exchanges of knowledge and ideas that address the major issues, innovations and disruptions of our times and of the near future.”
Coming on the eve of Wave Weekend, Tulane’s Homecoming, Reunions and Family weekend, this special event will support the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane and its citywide literacy efforts. Tickets, which range from $15 to $100, can be purchased on Eventbrite by clicking here. A limited number of free tickets will be available for Tulane students on a first-come, first-served basis at the same Eventbrite link. Students must show a valid Tulane Splash Card upon entry at the event.
Following the one-hour event, the authors will sign copies of their books, also available for purchase, in the Marshall Family Commons at the A. B. Freeman School of Business.
Under the leadership of festival co-chairs Cheryl Landrieu and Isaacson, Tulane will host the 2024 New Orleans Book Festival on the university's uptown campus, March 14-16, 2024. For more information about the festival, please visit bookfest.tulane.edu or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
