Festival of Ideas

The ETSU Festival of Ideas began in 2019 as an initiative to bring thought leaders from the region and beyond to campus. The event allows for the exchange of ideas, information and experiences for the university community. The 2027 Festival of Ideas will feature best-selling author Mónica Guzmán and presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham.

 

Mónica Guzmán is a bridge builder, journalist, and author who lives for great conversations sparked by curious questions. 

Her bestselling book, I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, is East Tennessee State University’s 2026-27 Common Read. 

The book has been featured in The New York Times, The Glenn Beck Podcast, and Reader's Digest and was named one of the 10 best books to read before college by U.S. News. 

Mónica is founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity, where she works to build a world that sees itself. She is host of “A Braver Way”, a podcast that equips people to navigate challenging divides in their everyday lives. She is both an advisor and a debate chair at Braver Angels, the nation’s largest crosspartisan grassroots organization working to depolarize America, and also advises Disagree Better, The Viewpoints Project, and Courageous Conversations About Our Schools. 

Mónica received an honorary doctorate from Wheaton College and completed study and research fellowships on braver ways to navigate division at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and the University of Florida. A Mexican immigrant and dual U.S./Mexico citizen, she lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids.

Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham is one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. A highly sought-after commentator, he regularly appears on MSNBC, CNN, and other news outlets. Known for his deep knowledge of politics, religion, and current affairs, Meacham brings history to life and offers valuable context for understanding contemporary events.

Meacham served as Newsweek’s managing editor from 1998 to 2006 and as editor from 2006 to 2010. He is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, winner of the Lincoln Prize; The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels; His Truth Is Marching On, about civil rights icon John Lewis; and his latest book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, an anthology exploring the nation’s complicated past through historic speeches, letters, and essays.

His bestselling biographies include Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. Other acclaimed works include Franklin and Winston, American Gospel, and Impeachment: An American History.

Meacham also created and hosted the History Channel podcasts "Hope Through History" and "It Was Said," which examine the people, ideas, and pivotal moments that shaped America.

 

 

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