Premise - Spokane Chapter

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About us

Welcome to Premise: Big Questions, Real Conversation

Premise is a space for thoughtful people who crave more than small talk. Each session starts with a big, timeless question—like What is freedom?, Are we our work?, or How much is enough?—and pairs it with a short piece of art, literature, or film. We use those works to spark meaningful conversations.

Who Should Join:
Premise is for curious adults of all ages who value depth over debate, and connection over consensus. You don’t need a philosophy degree—just a willingness to read or watch something short ahead of time and come ready to think and talk with others in the community.

What to Expect:
Each session is structured and deeply engaging. You'll receive a short prep email (usually 1–1.5 hours of reading or viewing and we provided the text), then meet in person for a guided conversation. There’s no lecturing, just a guided dialogue designed to help you listen, reflect, and connect. Expect surprising insights, genuine connection, and the kind of conversation that lingers long after it ends.

Premise events are currently held in 8 cities across the US, with more to come in 2025!

Upcoming events

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[online, 3 sessions] Is this what democracy looks like?
Sun, Apr 19 · 10:00 AM PDT
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Online
Online
Learn more about Premise.

📌 A note about registration: We attract participants from many different sources, including Meetup groups. We ask that you register directly with Premise so we can stay organized and send you the readings, your Zoom link, and everything else you need.

👉 Sign up here. (Plz sign up at least 4 days before the start date)

Registration Fees: Use the code "POD" for 20% off. If you need to come for free, use "SpokaneMeetup" at checkout. We never want money to be a barrier to participation. All fees go toward keeping the lights on and growing our network of chapters.

🗣️ Pod Question: Is This What Democracy Looks Like?
A 3-Session Online Premise Pod

Is this what democracy looks like? It is a question being asked with urgency right now, in living rooms and newsrooms and on the street. But it is also one of the oldest and most enduring questions of human life together. What do we actually owe each other as citizens? Who gets to be "the people"? What does it take to keep a democracy healthy, and what does it ask of us personally?
In this 3-session online Premise Pod, we will explore the idea of democracy not as a settled fact but as a living, demanding question, through guided conversation, short readings, poetry, and one very famous short story.

A Premise Pod is a small group experience built for deeper conversation. You will meet with the same group across all three sessions, which means the dialogue can grow richer, more honest, and more thoughtful over time. This is not a lecture and it is not a debate. It is a welcoming, structured space for adults who want real conversation about the questions that matter.

📅 Dates: Saturdays, April 19, May 3, and May 17
🕙 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Pacific
💻 Format: Zoom. Link shared after registration.

⚠️ We ask that you be able to commit to missing no more than one session for the cohesion of the group. We are a cameras-on community for our online sessions.

📚 What We Will Explore
Session 1: How are "We the People"? Preparation under 2 hours
- The Iroquois Constitution: The Great Law of Peace (curated excerpt)
- The Preamble to the United States Constitution
- The Declaration of Independence
- Jorge Luis Borges, The Lottery in Babylon
- Shirley Jackson, The Lottery
- Claude McKay, "America" (poem)
📚 Session 2: What does democracy demand of us? Preparation under 2 hours
- Parks and Recreation, democracy montage (short video)
- Pericles, Funeral Oration (excerpt)
- Václav Havel, The Power of the Powerless (excerpt)
- Audre Lorde, "The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action"
- Toni Morrison, "No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear"
- Adrienne Rich, "What Kind of Times Are These" (poem)
📚 Session 3: What does a healthy democracy look like? Preparation under 2 hours
- Alexis de Tocqueville, "What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear" (excerpt)
- Octavia Butler, "Speech Sounds"
- Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny (curated excerpts)
- Zadie Smith, "On Optimism and Despair"
- Langston Hughes, "Let America Be America Again" (poem)
- W.H. Auden, "September 1, 1939" (poem)
✨ If you are hungry for conversation that is intellectually rich, personal, and grounded in real life, we would love to have you join us.
1 attendee