The Center for Literary Arts is pleased to present literary luminary Ted Chiang in a reading from his latest book, Exhalation, a collection of stories. This event takes place on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Hammer Theatre at 6:30 PM. 

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In the nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, that comprise Exhalation, author Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine. In “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and second chances. In “Exhalation,” an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications that are literally universal. In “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” the ability to glimpse into alternate universes necessitates a radically new examination of the concepts of choice and free will. These stories will change the way you think, feel, and see the world. They are Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic, revelatory.

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Ted Chiang’s fiction has won four Hugo, four Nebula, and four Locus awards, and has been featured in The Best American Short Stories. His debut collection, Stories of Your Life and Others, has been translated into twenty-one languages. He was born in Port Jefferson, New York, and currently lives near Seattle, Washington.

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This event is made possible thanks to the support of the Joyce Milligan Family Foundation, the Martha Heasley Cox Lecture and the College of Humanities, and the Arts Artistic Excellence Programming Grants.