I recently joined the board of the Bellevue Literary Press, an independent publisher of fiction and nonfiction at the intersection of the arts and sciences. The Press has a long history of publishing award-winning and well-reviewed works, including Paul Harding's Tinkers, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2012.

I am interested in Bellevue as a reader and as a person concerned with the development of technology and its impact on people. Literary fiction and storytelling broadly are underrated modes of communication and persuasion. I'm interested in writers' efforts to tell stories about the potential impacts of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and computational biology.

As a request, I'd love to have conversations with people interested in supporting storytelling as a means of reflection on emerging technologies. Efforts like this could help create space and a shared language for navigating the rapidly evolving relationship between humans and the technologies we build.

Good evening, everyone. 

For those of you I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Charlie Petty. 

As a newcomer to the board of The Press, I'm honored to share with you why this organization's mission has captured my imagination and why this is such a pivotal moment in BLP's history.

I grew up in a house full of books, lucky enough to have parents who read to me every night before bed – everything from The Odyssey to Harry Potter to Aesop’s Fables. 

My own reading journey began with science fiction – Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Orson Scott Card – but like many of us, I lost my way during those years when reading felt like an assignment rather than the joy that it can be.

It wasn't until I was living in Haiti after college, feeling homesick and trying to understand my temporarily adopted country, that I rediscovered the transformative power of literature. 

I found comfort and curiosity in books like Tracy Kidder's "Mountains Beyond Mountains" and Amy Wilentz's "The Rainy Season," books that didn't just inform – they transformed my understanding of the world and my place in it.

This experience of reacquainting myself with reading - and a very bad habit of purchasing many books and reading some of them - led me to Bellevue Literary Press, an organization that has been transforming readers' understanding of our world since 2007. 

Bellevue’s mission is unique: we're the only nonprofit press dedicated to publishing at the intersection of the arts and sciences. 

This isn't just a niche – it's a necessity in our rapidly evolving world.

Today, Bellevue stands at a transformative moment in its history. Since our founding, we've published groundbreaking works that have garnered prestigious recognition. 

But more importantly, we've created a space where science and storytelling converge to illuminate the human experience.

Looking ahead, our vision for BLP is bold. In a world where artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and climate change are reshaping human experience, we need literature that can bridge the gap between scientific advancement and human understanding. 

We need stories that can help us navigate the ethical complexities of our time.

The economics of publishing such vital work are challenging. As an investor in global public health, I understand both the financial realities and the tremendous potential for impact that small teams of brilliant people can have on the world. 

Each book we publish at Bellevue does not just represent an investment in literary excellence, but also in fostering the kind of interdisciplinary thinking our future demands.

Many of you here tonight have been vital partners in Bellevue’s journey. You've helped us build a foundation of literary excellence and cultural impact. 

To those meeting us for the first time, you're joining us at an exciting moment. 

We're not just publishing books – we're cultivating a community of thinkers, writers, and readers who believe in the power of literature to illuminate our most pressing challenges.

Our dream is ambitious but clear: we envision BLP as a catalyst for crucial conversations about what it means to be human in an increasingly complex world. 

We want to expand our reach, nurture new voices, and publish works that challenge and inspire. 

We want to be the press that helps readers understand the human dimensions of scientific breakthroughs, and the scientific underpinnings of human experience.

Tonight, I invite you to be part of this vision. Your support will help ensure that BLP can continue to publish works that matter, that challenge us, that help us understand our changing world. 

Together, we can write the next chapter in BLP's story – a chapter of growth, impact, and continued literary excellence.

Thank you for being here tonight. The future of Bellevue Literary Press is bright, and with your help, we will illuminate the path forward.