Why deep conversation matters now more than ever
Most of us are carrying around a few big questions. How much is enough? What is happiness? Are we our work? We think about these things in the shower, on a walk, at two in the morning. And then answer emails, make dinner, go online, and the question goes back in the drawer, because there's rarely a place to take it.
Premise is that place. Not therapy. Not a traditional class. Not a debate. We are a small group of curious people, guided by a skilled facilitator, sitting with a big question together, using a short piece of writing or film as the starting point. The conversation is unpretentious and often joyful, even when the question is a hard one. You don't need to have it figured out. You just need to be willing to think alongside people grappling with what it means to be human in complex times.
Built for Busy Lives
Under two hours of preparation, always
Sessions run online and in person, wherever you are
A facilitator manages the room, so you can just show up and think
Anchored in the Text
The shared reading or film is the starting point
Personal reflection and close reading, side by side
Guided by Design
Like a conductor guiding an orchestra, the facilitator keeps the conversation flowing
Time is shared, so everyone gets room to speak
Understand, Not Win
Aim to understand different perspectives, not defeat them
Disagree respectfully when it comes up
Come Curious
Show up curious, not certain
Engage with the reading or film beforehand
Focus on learning about yourself, the text, and each other
How it works
01 Share the Air
Be mindful of your speaking time. Make room for others to contribute and let the conversation breathe.
02 Embrace Inquiry
Ask genuine questions and stay open-minded. Curiosity is more useful than certainty in a good conversation.
03 Respect Diversity
Value varied perspectives and experiences. The richest learning often comes when we encounter ideas that challenge our own.
04 Listen Actively
Listen to understand, not to respond. The most significant voice in the room isn't always yours.
05 Refer to the Shared Reading or Film
Use the shared reading or film as a common starting point. It connects our personal reflections to the conversation.
06 Foster Community
Contribute to an unpretentious and joyful learning experience. Premise is an intellectual space with an emotional core.
07 Value Reflection
Embrace silence as part of the conversation. Moments of quiet give everyone space for deeper thinking.
08 Come Prepared
Enrich the conversation with your thorough preparation. The preparation is intentionally designed to take no more than a few hours so we can ensure all participants will be ready to discuss.
How We Talk to Each Other At Premise
At Premise, our participants …
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Meet Mary, Premise's Founder
Mary founded Premise on a simple belief: real connection doesn’t come from small talk, it comes from sitting with a real question together. For two decades, she has led conversation-based courses and discussions, including as a high school educator and through organizations such as the Symposium Great Books Institute and Portland Literary Arts Foundation, and now through Premise itself.
Her thinking is shaped by the philosopher Hannah Arendt, especially Arendt’s belief that real thinking happens best in the company of others. Mary holds a BA in History from American University and master’s degrees from Brown University, St. John’s College, and San Jose State University, and is a two-time National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow.
Mary is also a trained and certified philosophical counselor through the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA) and Philosophical Health International (PHI).
What Mary cares about most is making room for people to think together, without pretension, without competition, and with real joy.
Premise started in 2012 in San Francisco. Today it runs in Portland and online, and Mary leads all online and in-person sessions herself.
A Modern Take on a Long Tradition
Premise is founded on a long tradition of discussion-based learning, from Socratic seminars to French salons and the Saturday Nighters groups of the Harlem Renaissance. We believe it's possible (and preferable!) for everyone to be able to explore philosophy, literature, history and life's big questions.
Where we are now
In 2026-2027, Premise will be offered online and in person in Portland, Oregon. For now we are pausing new chapter growth to build a strong foundation and raise funds that will allow Premise to grow in the long term.
Here is what we learned.
People are hungry for this kind of conversation, far beyond any one city. And growth outpaced our capacity and funding. Twenty plus chapters is a remarkable proof of concept. People want deep, guided conversation.
A Year of Experimentation
Throughout 2026-2027, we wanted to see what would happen if we tried to bring Premise to communities across the country. So we did. Last year, more than 20 chapters formed, each one led by someone who wanted deep and joyful conversation in their own city. It was a year of learning by doing.
The incredible chapter leaders found the venues, gathered the participants and guided rich, text-based conversations about life's big questions. Learn more about the chapter leaders.
Where We've Been, Where We're Headed
Good to know
FAQ · Premise
Premise is for curious adults who want conversation that goes deeper than daily life usually allows. You don't need to be a lifelong reader, a self-described intellectual, or someone who's comfortable speaking up in a group right away. Many people who come say they've never had a place to say these things before. That's who this is for. You don't need any background in philosophy, literature, or the humanities. You just need to be curious about the questions that shape a life.
Premise isn't a class, a therapy group, a networking event, or a book club.. There are no lectures and no grades. The goal isn't to win an argument or arrive at the single right answer. It's about deepening our attention, curiosity, and connection with people who are also carrying big questions and don't have anywhere else to put them.
Single Sessions are a one-time, ninety-minute gathering built around one life question and a short reading or film, the easiest way to try Premise. Pods are a three-session series, one week apart, built around one big question, with the same small group meeting all three times so the conversation can build instead of starting over. The Deep Cohort is for people who want to go further: one small group meets monthly for six months, reading longer texts and staying with a connected arc of questions. Premise for Teens is a week-long summer program for high schoolers, built around one big question, with real reading, writing, and conversation.
A Single Session is a one-time taste of Premise, one question, one conversation, no ongoing commitment. A Pod is three sessions with the same group, going deeper into one question over time. The Deep Cohort is for people who've done a Pod and want more: the same small group, meeting monthly for six months, with longer texts and a sustained arc of questions. Most people start with a Single Session or a Pod and move to the Deep Cohort later if they want to keep going.
Single Sessions run eight to fifteen people. Pods run eight to twelve. The Deep Cohort is capped at eight. We cap the sessions so everyone has space to talk.
Premise runs sessions in person in Portland, Oregon and online, so you can choose whichever fits your life, or try both.
There's no expertise required. Nobody is grading you or expecting you to have the smartest thing to say. An expert facilitator guides the conversation so it stays open and doesn't turn into a debate. Some of the people who've gotten the most out of Premise came in nervous and unsure they belonged. That feeling usually doesn't last past the first twenty minutes.
Online sessions are run the same way as in-person ones: small groups, a real facilitator, and a conversation that's actually a conversation, not a lecture on a screen. You'll see and hear everyone in the room. It's built to feel like sitting around a table, not sitting through a webinar.
For a Pod, the total reading and preparation across all three sessions is usually under two hours per session. For a single session, it's one short reading or film, nothing longer than you'd read or watch in under two hours. For the Deep Cohort, expect roughly the equivalent of one book a month, give or take. You're never expected to have expert knowledge of the material. You just need to have engaged with it enough to bring your ideas and insights to the group.
Single Sessions are typically no cost because they are the way to try Premise in a low-barrier environment. Pods are $150 in Portland or $125 online. The Deep Cohort is $550 and starts in January 2027 online and in person. If you want to commit to the full season of Pods, the year-long rate is $600 in Portland or $500 online, about 25% off paying for each Pod individually, and it includes a few extras: early registration, a monthly drop-in with Mary, one 1:1 conversation, and an invitation to the year-end gathering.