Keynote at 2026 Things Fall Apart Festival Explores Names

The 2026 Things Fall Apart Festival took place at Things Fall Apart Village, with the theme “Named, Unnamed, Renamed: Power, Memory and the Architecture of Identity.” The keynote address, titled “The Weight of a Name: Power, Memory and the Architecture of Identity,” was delivered by an unnamed speaker who was assigned the topic on short notice. The speaker engaged the audience by referencing St. Augustine’s observations on how names are learned and their significance.

He pointed out that Augustine, not Ludwig Wittgenstein, was the first to propose the “pictorial conception” of language. The speaker emphasized that names carry meaning and can reflect a person's essence.

He shared a personal anecdote about discovering the meaning of his name, ‘Clement,’ which he found to encapsulate his father's character. The address explored how names can evolve to reflect personal growth and achievements.