Cast Out: A Call for a Forgiving Society in an Age of Incarceration

Join us for a Chats in the Stacks book talk with Joseph Margulies, professor of practice in the Department of Government, as he discusses his latest book, Cast Out: A Call for a Forgiving Society in an Age of Incarceration (Penguin Random House, 2026). Cast Out argues that even those who commit the gravest crimes are part of our shared humanity, and that society should replace its fixation on "What did they do?" with the more forgiving question, "What happened?" Drawing on intimate interviews with six men and women, he traces the human paths behind their crimes and challenges readers to see themselves in those we lock away as "the worst of the worst."

This talk is part of Cornell University Library's "Chats in the Stacks" series that's free and open to the public. This book talk will also be livestreamed, with pre-registration at https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN5PBpCUzWQQmvui-Ma3JEvg