Monday Sep 14, 2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
POWERHOUSE Arena
28 Adams Street (Corner of Adams & Water Street across from the Archway)
Brooklyn , NY
11201
About the Book.
From New York Times editor Eric Athas comes a groundbreaking solution on how to rewire our impulses to consume new things and reclaim control of our lives and spending habits.
New things are everywhere―and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most in life. One of the biggest lies of modern times is that new is always better. A new phone is always better than the previous edition. A new pair of sunglasses is always better than the one you wore last summer. The new fitness app is always better than the one you already downloaded. Influencers are constantly promoting the latest trends, and retailers are designing frictionless experiences that optimize for speedy checkouts. Sooner or later, we can’t help but feel like a new product, trend, or fad is too good to resist.
Saying No to New recognizes that instead of improving our lives, new things often distract us from our goals. They steal our time, money and attention―and even our joy and happiness. As a solution to today’s challenges, Saying No to New will help you:
About the Author.
Eric Athas is an editor at the New York Times, where he helps journalists learn new tools and skills they can use to tell stories. Before joining the Times in 2016, he worked at NPR and the Washington Post. His work has been published in the New YorkTimes, the Washington Post, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and the Nieman Journalism Lab. Athas lives with his wife and two children in Brooklyn.
About the Moderator.
Melissa Kirsch is a writer at the New York Times, where she hosts The Good List, a weekly newsletter of things, big and small, to add joy and meaning to life. Kirsch also writes The Morning newsletter on Saturdays. She is the author of the book The Girl’s Guide.
