The Kibbitznest Liberal Arts Discussion Series is a collaboration primarily with the University of Chicago Graham School where we invite faculty and instructors to present and discuss their original research. In keeping with the mission to preserve quality human interaction, we encourage the audience to ask questions throughout the time or as prompted by the speaker.

The discussions typically start at 6pm (occasionally they may start at 6:30pm to accommodate teaching schedules) and end at approximately 7:15 or 7:30pm at which point feel free to leave. You can also go ahead and gather with others at a table if you would like to discuss the topic further. The series starts in October and ends in May. They are typically held on Thursdays twice a month with some exceptions due to holidays or other circumstances. Attendance can be anywhere from 6 - 60 people; although on average there are about 25-35 people. If you’d like more information about the faculty, instructors, and the University liberal arts programs please visit The University of Chicago Graham School

Some of our topics have been:

• Rousseau & Education

• Carnegie & the Gospel of Wealth

• Shakespeare on Respect due to Fathers

• Aristotle on Happiness

• Nietzsche & Buddhism

• Relating to Epicurus

• Is Socialism Possible in the Age of Trump?

• Getting Comfortable with Death

• Nabokov’s Signs & Symbols

• Hamlet the Ham

Admission is always free, although we encourage support of the venue that so graciously donates the use of their space, kibbitznest books, brews & blarney and their great staff, with the purchase of food or beverages. Speakers are paid from the revenue we receive from the sale of donated books and a portion of the food & drink revenue. Please donate books in the liberal arts genre to help support the Discussion Series. If you would like to sign up for the discussions in general or to reserve a spot for a specific discussion please email us. Reservations are not necessary but appreciated so that we can be better prepared since space is limited.

Kibbitznest, Inc is dedicated to the preservation of quality human interaction.

We have been evolving into a highly technological society which has allowed us to stay in touch with hundreds or even thousands of friends through electronic communication platforms—social media, email, video chat, texting, websites, forums, blogs, video games—which now dominate a significant portion of our days. These forms of communication are excellent tools for sharing ideas and connecting with people all over the world. 

But with more and more time devoted to electronic communication, what is society giving up, what is the trade-off? 

It’s time to step back in time and take notice of what the potential negative impact will be on our society if we choose face-to-face social interaction less and less in favor of digital communication networks. Society will be paying a hefty price as more and more young people depend on technology to communicate. Our verbal skills and emotional intelligence will suffer (Sigman (2009). Studies at Yale University show that the overuse of technology can change the brain by rewriting a child’s brain pathways altering how they would normally develop (Brackett, 2014). Studies show this relatively new human behavior has the potential to foster alienation and isolation, as they prefer not to engage in social activities away from their computers or smartphones. But, the reality is, electronic communication is here to stay and that can be a good thing, as long as it is balanced with face-to-face communication.

Our ultimate objective is to promote a better understanding of the world and its people by coming together face-to-face to experience being human by teaching, by learning, by listening, by reading, by arguing, by discussing, and by inquiring. We encourage a balance between face to face and electronic communication.

Kibbitznest strives to encourage the public to work toward achieving a balance between online and face-to-face communication. It has become apparent that achieving this balance should be everyone’s responsibility, if we are to remain a civilized society. Kibbitznest will attempt to do its part by providing an avenue where the public can actively preserve the quality of human interaction. The founders have identified liberal arts thinking and education as the catalytic tool to use in achieving this goal because of its inherent quality to encourage curiosity, inquiry, and discussion regarding the wonders of human nature, other animal nature, and the physical and scientific world around us. 

During its activities, kibbitznest becomes a community classroom where people of all ages can share ideas and philosophies and engage in problem solving face to face. The predominant theme of our events will be an appreciation of the liberal arts as we collaborate with colleges, universities, museums, educators, writers, artists, cultural centers, other non-profits, and other individuals and organizations, to bring worthwhile programming to the community.

We offer a home to a mix of intellectual events—For example, together with the distinguished professors and instructors from the University of Chicago Graham School, we bring you regularly scheduled discussions in the liberal arts that encourage an appreciation of the foundation for all professions and life callings —creativity, reasoning, & critical thinking. Other discussion proposals can be submitted through our ‘proposals” page.

We collect donations of used books primarily in the liberal arts genre and sell them to fund our programming. Also, to help secure our future, we accept donations from our partner bookbar—kibbitznest books, brews & blarney— as well as the general public.