How Not to be Afraid: An Evening with Irish Storyteller Gareth Higgins

116 West Washington Avenue,Madison WI 53703

08 June, 2022

Description

We're excited to welcome brilliant storyteller and friend Gareth Higgins for an evening of story, conversation, and grounded hope. We are excited to welcome author, peace activist, brilliant storyteller, and friend Gareth Higgins for an evening of story, conversation, and grounded hope. Everyone is welcome and admission is free, though advance registration is required. Please join us*! In How Not to be Afraid, Irish storyteller, activist, and creative convenor Gareth Higgins explores seven common fears, inviting us to change the course of our stories through seven habits of hope and action for the common good. How Not to be Afraid is ripe for the moment in which we find ourselves. If you’re feeling afraid, and want to consider an option beyond fight, flight, or freeze - an alternative that might actually transform our experience of fear into something better, come on in. You’re not alone. Gareth Higgins was born in Belfast in 1975, grew up during the northern Ireland Troubles, and now lives in the US. He writes and speaks about the power of storytelling to shape our lives and world, peace and making justice, and how to take life seriously without believing your own propaganda. He has been involved in peace-building and violence reduction in northern Ireland and helping address the legacy of conflict, received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Queen’s University Belfast, and helped teach the world’s first graduate course in Reconciliation Studies at Trinity College Dublin. He also helped found the Wild Goose, New Story and Movies & Meaning festivals. Gareth leads retreats in North America and Ireland; and he founded The Porch Magazine. Brian McLaren says Gareth’s new book How Not to be Afraid is “a beautiful book”, Kathleen Norris says it’s “a necessary book”, and Micky ScottBey Jones says it’s “a much-needed resource for skill-building through our fear and trauma, so that we might create the belonging and communities we desire”. Nadia Bolz-Weber says “I totally trust Gareth Higgins when he writes about his own fear and how it’s actually possible to transform it into something powerful, something capable of healing us and the world.” Pádraig Ó Tuama says “Gareth Higgins is a friend. This book is too.” We’re delighted to welcome Gareth for an evening of storytelling and conversation about courage, creativity, and community, based on the ideas in his beloved new book, and decades of experience in northern Ireland, the US, and elsewhere seeking to nurture communities who learn and share a better story. "All I can say for now is WOW! It’s as if Spirit handed me your book in answer to my persistent, ongoing plea, HOW-HOW-HOW (to heal)? Thank you. I’m recommending your book to practically everyone." - Tracy Rittmueller, Founding Director, Lyricality *Covid policies will be in place, including mask requirements. Copies of How Not to be Afraid will be available for sale and Gareth will happily sign them at the event.