Author of UCLA common book discusses experience as border patrol agent

“The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border” was chosen as UCLA’s 2018-2019 common book in July. In months prior, thousands of immigrant children had been separated from their parents at the United States-Mexico border. The campus-wide committee responsible for the selection had no idea that months later, just before the launch of campus […]

Event analyzes roles of race, gender in testimonies against Supreme Court nominees

The rage of vulnerable populations is often stoked when injustice is made visible, said author Rebecca Traister. Such was the case with the congressional testimonies of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford. Tuesday night, the Hammer Museum hosted “Speaking Truth to Power: From Thomas to Kavanaugh,” which featured a screening of the documentary “Anita,” followed […]

Award-winning authors to speak about unique experiences’ influence on their work

Young people think they must have everything figured out right after college to achieve success, said Jesmyn Ward. But the author hopes that by sharing the stories of her experience with fellow writer Mitchell Jackson, they can help dispel the myth of what is possible for students’ futures, she said. Ward and Mitchell will speak […]

Play looks into girls’ expectations, reality in responding to sexual misconduct

There’s a gulf between how someone thinks they’ll react to a certain situation and how they actually react, said playwright Anna Moench. Real confrontations are often complicated by power structures and imbalances. Exploring that gap is central to “Man of God,” which premieres Thursday at East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Theater in Los Angeles. […]

Second Take: Failed Fyre Festival scrutinized in competing Hulu and Netflix documentaries

This post was updated Jan. 24 at 12:36 p.m. Fyre Festival was meant to be an escapist, immersive music festival in the Bahamas – instead, it turned into “Lord of the Flies” meets Instagram. The failed music festival was such a compelling train wreck that both Hulu and Netflix released documentaries about it within days […]

Second Take: ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ adds much-needed diversity to Marvel franchise

Peter Parker has donned the Spider-Man suit in countless films, but in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Miles Morales will be stepping into the famous web slinger’s shoes. Miles first appeared in the comics in 2011 when his character took on the Spider-Man mantle following Peter Parker’s death. He will make his film debut in the […]

Museum review: Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibit does judge’s legacy justice

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and rapper the Notorious B.I.G. don’t have much in common on the surface, but Biggie inspired Ginsburg’s nickname – the Notorious RBG. The nickname was coined by a law student who was inspired by Ginsburg’s attitude after her fiery dissent in Shelby County v. Holder, and helped build her […]