Today, more than ever, the stories of those most impacted by social injustice need to be heard. But how do we challenge those who seek to “disappear” stories that speak truth to power? And how can we use our own stories to break through ideological barriers during times of high political conflict? On October 13th, 2025, Yale University‘s Jackson School of Global Affairs and Center for Story & Witness co-hosted a public dialogue, Bearing Literary Witness: The Art & Ethics of Using Story to Create Social, in New Haven, CT. This public conversation, which was open to students, faculty, and the general public featured five award-winning storytellers and activists:
- David Morse. Fiction writer & Yale Jackson Writing Program Director
- Mariam El Marakeshy. Filmmaker, Educator & Yale World Fellow
- Anne K. Ream. Activist, Memoirist & Co-founder Center for Story & Witness
- R. Clifton Spargo. Novelist, Critic & Co-founder Center for Story & Witness
- Janine di Giovanni. War reporter, Yale Jackson Senior Fellow & CEO The Reckoning Project
Being in dialogue with each of these extraordinary documentarians and writers of fiction and creative non-fiction was powerful. They are doing global work that bears witness to the pain of others, which is no small thing in our very broken world. A huge thanks to all who came out for our community-based program; David and Clifton for being ground zero for our Center for Story & Witness/Yale collaboration; and Aimee Bravo and Kali Casab for their behind the scenes work making this a success. For details on our 2026 forum, watch this space!
To bring this public conversation to your own community, emails aimee@storyandwitness.org.