Thursday, July 10

Professors at book panel to relate postcolonial allegories and climate change

This post was updated Nov. 22 at 6:08 p.m. The rising sea levels have affected thousands of people, yet little is heard from them. But postcolonial populations – particularly those in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands – are being most directly affected by climate change. Read more...

Photo: English professor Elizabeth DeLoughrey will discuss her book “Allegories of the Anthropocene” in Kaplan Hall on Nov. 21. The book highlights allegories as a tool to comprehend the enormity of the climate change crisis by decreasing the scale in consideration. The book aims to unravel post-colonial issues through the lens of art. (Kanishka Mehra/Assistant Photo editor)


UCLA student film exposes pressure for minority artists to conform to labels

Claudia Rodriguez’s senior thesis film has art lovers sniffing drugs off priceless works. The fourth-year film student said she brainstormed the premise for her film “Illegal Artist” after burrowing deep into assorted Wikipedia articles on obscure artists. Read more...

Photo: Claudia Rodriguez, a fourth-year film student, said her film “Illegal Artist” was inspired by her deep dive into Wikipedia articles. From her research, Rodriguez said she made a film that tackles art and its commercialization. (Mia Kayser/Daily Bruin staff)


Author Ben Lerner discusses role of fractured narratives in ‘The Topeka School’

Ben Lerner’s latest novel is the only one he wrote with intention to be a novel. The poet’s first two novels, “Leaving the Atocha Station” and “10:04,” were tied more closely to his poetic work, which coalesced together into a novelistic structure as he wrote them. Read more...

Photo: Poet and author Ben Lerner joins English professor Mona Simpson to discuss his newest book “The Topeka School,” which marks the third book in a trilogy. He spoke about his transition from poetry to prose and how he wrote his characters’ voices. (Keaton Larson/Daily Bruin)


Podcast decodes ethics in artificial intelligence and its relevance to public

The “Beyond the Turing Test” podcast wants to disprove that artificial intelligence will result in a real-life Terminator, all while discussing ethics in technology. Co-hosted by second-year computer science student Arnav Mathur and third-year linguistics and computer science student Pranav Singh, the podcast launched Nov. Read more...

Photo: UCLA students Pranav Singh (left) and Arnav Mathur (right) co-host a podcast that tackles issues about the ethics of artificial intelligence. They use a conversational format to make the information digestible to the general public. (Naveed Pour/Daily Bruin)


Second Take: Taylor Swift’s fight for masters rights is a battle artists know all too well

Taylor Swift doesn’t like Big Machine Label Group’s little games or tilted stage – and she’s willing to fight back. Swift’s latest public showdown with her former record label Big Machine Label Group centers on her upcoming American Music Awards performance, where she will receive the Artist of the Decade award. Read more...

Photo: Taylor Swift has engaged in a public feud with Big Machine Label Group, her previous record label, over the right to perform her own music at the American Music Awards. Her feud, taken to the Twitter stage, reveals structural imbalances present in the music industry. (Kristie-Valerie Hoang/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Student’s short film champions putting self first over societal pressures

Nicole Corona Diaz said she doesn’t think it’s ever too late for someone to change their career path. Filmed over the weekend, the fourth-year film student’s untitled 12-minute short film tells the story of a rising college senior who suddenly decides not to take the LSAT despite having prepared her entire academic career for it. Read more...

Photo: Fourth-year film student Nicole Corona Diaz created a 12-minute short film detailing a student who decides not to take the LSAT, despite preparing for it for her whole life. The film reflects Corona Diaz’s own Latina upbringing. (Niveda Tennety/Assistant Photo editor)