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Gift from Robert Lemelson Foundation will advance Amazigh studies at UCLA

The UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures received a gift of $345,000 from the Robert Lemelson Foundation to establish the Amazigh Studies Program Fund at UCLA, which will advance the global study of the language, history and culture of one of North Africa’s oldest indigenous populations. The project will be led by Aomar Boum, professor of anthropology and of Near Eastern languages and cultures at UCLA, and Brahim El Guabli, chair and associate professor of Arabic studies at Williams College. The scholars, both of whom hail originally from Morocco and are of Amazigh descent, seek to lay the…

More than 1,100 flock to Clark Library open house

“A library is a focal point, a sacred place to a community; and its sacredness is its accessibility, its publicness,” author Ursula K. Le Guin famously said. “It’s everybody’s place.” To celebrate one such world-class resource, the UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library held its annual open house and adopt-a-book fair Oct. 7, inspiring more than 1,100 people to join in person. “The event was a resounding success, with the vast majority of participants being first-time attendees. Everyone was deeply engaged with the materials on display and put forward astute questions and observations about book history,” said Anna Chen, the Clark’s head…

Humanities Division welcomes new faculty for 2023-24

The Division of Humanities is proud to introduce its new faculty members for the 2023–24 academic year. These accomplished scholars represent nearly every department in the division and are at all ranks; their scholarship covers a wide range of subjects, from the ancient world to linguistics, from the digital humanities to health humanities — with some engaged in scholarship that spans departments. Congratulations and a warm welcome to our newest faculty members: Whitney Arnold, Comparative Literature Nohora Arrieta Fernandez, Spanish & Portuguese Solange Ashby, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Meg Cychosz, Linguistics Lara Fabian, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Rebecca…

The real story behind ‘The Exorcist’: Q&A with Henry Ansgar Kelly

Turning 50 this year — and looking not a day over diabolical — “The Exorcist” is one of the most influential, critically acclaimed and financially successful horror films of all time. (Based on a 1971 novel, the film even inspired a 2023 sequel, as well as some silly questions.) While its sensationalized depiction of demonic possession has all but defined this type of narrative in the popular imagination, the material itself is loosely based on a real-life case from 1949, where Father William Bowdern performed a series of exorcisms on a 14-year-old boy. “I was the only one to whom he…

Adam Bradley co-curates Grammy exhibit celebrating 50 years of hip hop

“Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” at the Grammy Museum, which runs through Sept. 4, 2024, celebrates the genre’s 50th anniversary. It is co-curated by Adam Bradley, a UCLA professor of English and African American studies and founding director of the Laboratory for Race and Popular Culture (RAP Lab) at UCLA. The immersive exhibit explores music, fashion, activism and more to allow visitors to make hands-on connections with the past, present and future of hip-hop culture. Artifacts on display will include the Notorious B.I.G.’s iconic red leather jacket, Chuck D’s handwritten and illustrated lyrics and more, while a “Sonic Playground” will…

Q&A: Justin Torres on creating ‘sustained and deep engagement’ with literature

Justin Torres was just 31 years old when his first novel, “We the Animals,” caused a literary sensation. Narrated by a young boy of mixed heritage who is finding his way amid family struggles and a budding queer identity, the novel received the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award and became a bestseller as well as an award-winning film. Since its publication more than a decade ago, Torres has experienced the kind of broad, enduring recognition that eludes many authors. The literary landscape has also changed significantly in the last decade; today, literature by and about Latinos continues to gain ground. Torres, a…

Art is their adventure: Graduate students will benefit from Peter and Sheri Weller’s beautiful vision

When he was working on his master’s degree at the highly selective program at Syracuse University’s campus in Florence, Italy, Peter Weller experienced firsthand the challenges of graduate work in art history: hours of archival research, hours in front of the art itself, fluency in multiple languages and, of course, the expenses of travel, school and life. “It was extraordinarily arduous, and I wanted to quit after a month,” he said with a laugh. An Oscar-nominated filmmaker and acclaimed actor of stage and screen, Peter persevered and even went on to earn his doctorate in art history from UCLA in 2014. However,…

New UCLA College webpage highlights books by Bruin authors

A new page on the UCLA College website celebrates the wide range of authors and expertise among College faculty, students, alumni and staff. The Bruin Bookshelf catalogs books published by scholars affiliated with the College, and all are invited to bookmark the site and use it as a resource. Through a link on the site, College-affiliated authors can submit information about books they wish to be included, and the page will be updated regularly.

Gefyra documents weaving traditions in Geraki, Laconia

From June 24 to July 14, 2023, graduate students from UCLA, Simon Fraser University, and the University of British Columbia explored the artistry of weaving in Geraki, a Lakonian village where generations of women have preserved and passed down their craft. This comprehensive project, which forms part of Gefyra, a partnership between the SNF Hellenic Centers at UCLA and SFU, was generously funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The project was held in collaboration with the Cultural Society of Geraki and was further supported by the Municipality of Evrotas. The Ephorate of Antiquities of Laconia and The Geraki Project, affiliated…

Q&A: Harryette Mullen’s newest poetry brings us closer to nature

Harryette Mullen has a singular way of connecting readers with the world around them. This spring, her work was included in a public art installation as part of New York City’s Park Poems initiative, a collaboration with the Poetry Society of America. Previously, and closer to home, Mullen wrote an original poem for UCLA Magazine that celebrated the small pleasures of everyday life, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebrated poet, literary scholar and UCLA English professor was elected in April to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The same month, her collection “Open Leaves / poems from earth” was published by the independent Black Sunflowers Poetry…