The Human Rebellion: Why Fiction is a Revolutionary Act - Author Daniel J. Cecil

Is the fiction writer becoming obsolete in a world where large language models can create narratives with a simple prompt? The real question might be: can an algorithm truly capture the weight of a human secret, the complexity of how language mirrors thought, or the shame of a lived regret?

As technology tries its best to emulate human creative output, we are forced to ask a deeper question: what is the "ghost in the machine" that AI cannot replicate? Through the intersection of literature, psychology, and philosophy, this talk argues that creating fiction is not merely an artistic choice - it is a tool for human rebellion.

In an increasingly technological world, the act of storytelling becomes a way to reclaim our individuality and safeguard the messy, irrational, and beautiful parts of the human experience that code can never crack. This is an exploration of the psychological depths of the narrative mind and the philosophy of the "unwritten." Join us to discover why, in the age of the machine, fiction remains our most revolutionary tool for preserving the human soul.

About the speaker

Daniel is a professional writer and educator with a wealth of experience spanning literary fiction and non-fiction.

His work has been featured in premier publications including The LA Review of Books, The Rumpus, The Stranger, and The Heavy Feather Review. His work has been long-listed for the Dzanc Fiction Prize, earned a Pushcart Prize nomination, and the support of several prestigious residencies.

Daniel holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Washington, where he spent five years teaching the craft to hundreds of students. Now based in the Netherlands, he is the founder of Honing House, a creative learning space for the Amsterdam literary community, and teaches travel writing at Emerson College. Driven by the belief that fiction is an act of empathy, he focuses on helping writers move past "rules" to find their most authentic and revolutionary voice.

Doors open at 19:30 – Arrive early, grab a seat, and settle in.

Talk starts at 20:00 and runs until around 21:30.

Price includes light drinks.

Stick around afterward - good conversations don’t have closing times.