Renowned Environmental Author Terry Tempest Williams Visits Gonzaga April 7

a gray-haired woman in a black turtleneck shirt
March 11, 2026
Gonzaga University News Service

Terry Tempest Williams, one of the nation’s most celebrated voices on nature, justice, and the human spirit, will visit Spokane on Tuesday, April 7, at 4 p.m. for a special event hosted by the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment in partnership with the Gonzaga Visiting Writer Series. The program, held in the ballroom of Gonzaga University’s Hemmingson Center, is free and open to the public, and will also be accessible via livestream.

The gathering invites community members into an evening of conversation, reflection, and shared inquiry. Williams — an award‑winning author, environmentalist, activist, and current writer‑in‑residence at Harvard Divinity School — will offer a short reading before engaging in an interview and moderated discussion.

Together with the audience, she will explore climate change as a moral and social justice issue; the role of imagination and creativity in ecological restoration; the art and craft of writing and reading well; and how environmental stewardship connects to human dignity and global solidarity.

Brian G. Henning, director of the Gonzaga Climate Institute, notes that Williams’ voice is particularly resonant at this moment.

“The Climate Institute’s ‘For Our Common Home’ lecture series hosts prominent speakers who help us understand different aspects of the complex nature of the climate crisis,” says Henning, director of Gonzaga’s Climate Institute. “We are honored to host the renowned writer Terry Tempest Williams, who is known for her exceptional ability to blend deeply personal memoir with ecological advocacy. She helps us better understand what it is to be human on a planet in crisis.”

Williams is widely known for her ability to illuminate the intimate connections between land, people, and story. Her books, including “Refuge” and “Erosion,” have shaped national conversations on ecology and public lands, while her essays for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Orion have established her as a leading figure in environmental thought. Her career has brought her before Congress, into collaborations with artists and scientists, and to major honors such as the John Muir Award and the Thoreau Prize, each recognizing her lifelong commitment to environmental justice and freedom of speech.

John Eliason, interim director of Gonzaga’s Visiting Writer Series, says bringing Williams to Gonzaga represents more than a literary highlight — it is an invitation to deeper attentiveness and care.

“Terry Tempest Williams is a public artist and intellectual who has dedicated her life to challenging the notion that any gap exists between humans and the world around them,” Eliason says. “Her work emphasizes the intimate, inextricable connections between people and place, thoughtfully excavating the very idea of nature. She approaches the world with a sensitive yet rigorous disposition toward questioning, and seeing her model that curiosity makes engaging with her in person a worthy pursuit.”

Eliason notes that this collaboration between the Visiting Writer Series and the Climate Institute reflects shared commitments at the heart of Gonzaga’s mission.

“The Climate Institute and the Visiting Writers Series are both dedicated to learning and living well,” he said. “While the two organizations have different areas of focus, both align deeply with Gonzaga’s mission. This collaboration is especially fitting for this event, as the beautiful and erudite writing of Terry Tempest Williams has the capacity to inspire students and community members alike. I believe they will leave with new ways of caring as they navigate their own paths toward vibrant, sustainable lives.”

“A Conversation with Terry Tempest Williams” will take place Tuesday, April 7, at 4 p.m. in Hemmingson Ballroom on the Gonzaga University campus. The event is free and open to the public; registration is requested but not required for attendance.

Interested in attending?
Register Now