Arts, culture and humanities talks in the Bay Area

A workshop on Catholic social teaching and artificial intelligence, exploring how the Church's tradition of humanistic philosophy engages with AI ethics and technology. Part of the Markey Center's monthly Faith Meets World series, this session includes interactive discussion and reflection opportunities for all participants.

A guided walk and talk led by Kristina Parkison exploring Ohlone plant uses and cultural objects that sustain the Ohlone people's deep connection to the land they have stewarded since time immemorial. The program centers both historical and contemporary Ohlone practices. Ages 8 and up; adult participation required. Bring water, hat, layers, and sturdy shoes.

A Cantor Arts Center exhibition showcasing recent acquisitions from the Asian American Art Initiative (AAAI), founded in 2018 by Stanford art history professor Marci Kwon and curator Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander. The AAAI has grown from roughly 30 works to over 800, making it one of the nation's leading museum initiatives dedicated to Asian American art. This exhibition presents works by artists including Pacita Abad, Ching Ho Cheng, Tseng Kwong Chi, Young Joon Kwak, Masami Teraoka, and Rupy C. Tut, spanning generations, media, and artistic approaches. Many works are being presented to the public for the first time. The exhibition runs during regular museum hours; admission is always free.

A guided history walk of Lands End's wild northwest corner led by historian and retired National Park Ranger John Martini. Participants will follow the route of the historic Ferries & Cliff House steam train, view the remains of two shipwrecks (weather permitting), and visit the USS San Francisco Memorial to learn about the warship's 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. The two-hour walk covers uneven terrain; easy grade. Limited to 30 people.

Meet paranormal romance novelist Marilyn Vix at Copperfields Books Calistoga, celebrating the omnibus edition of Thankful in Vegas. A casual drop-by meet-and-greet with the author.

A four-week seminar exploring Dante's *Inferno* as both a masterwork of Western literature and a profound meditation on human striving and justice that resonates in our own historical moment. Led by Timothy Hampton, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley, the course will read the poem slowly, unpacking its mysteries, medieval philosophical context, and enduring relevance. Open discussion follows each session. Meets Thursdays, October 10, 17, 24, 31, 11 am–1 pm.

A curator walkthrough of 'Drawn Together,' a group exhibition celebrating human connection through diverse artistic media. Curator Auriel Garza leads visitors through works exploring gatherings of figures—friends, families, teams, dancers—and the expressive power of line work as both structural and emotional force. The exhibition examines how artists depict shared joy, camaraderie, and belonging across varied settings from supermarkets to dance floors to family dining tables, offering a heartfelt tribute to the ties that bring us together.

Author and Education Programs Director at Monterey Bay Aquarium Katy Scott reads and signs her illustrated children's book about a hermit crab's 24-hour journey through a tide pool ecosystem. Through the crab's search for a new shell, readers learn about tide cycles, marine adaptations, predator-prey relationships, and the interconnected life of tide pool creatures. Scott brings expertise from nearly 15 years developing STEM education programs at one of the world's leading aquariums.

An eye-opening guide to understanding and appreciating poetry. John Timpane, author of *Poetry for Dummies*, 2nd Edition, explores how to read, analyze, and write poetry for anyone from curious beginners to practicing writers and devoted poetry lovers. Perfect for aspiring poets and anyone interested in deepening their engagement with the form.

Professor Elisa Tamarkin, Chair of UC Berkeley's English Department, speaks to the UC Berkeley Emeriti Association. Tamarkin is a scholar of American literature and cultural history. The specific topic of her remarks will be announced closer to the event date.

Two hands-on artmaking workshops led by Osher Fellows in the East Garden. 'Marigold and Frames: Make a Frame, Hold a Memory' with Dev Heyrana explores memory and craft, while 'Día de los Muertos: Claude Forever' with Josué Rojas engages the Day of the Dead tradition. All ages welcome, no experience necessary.

A guided walk-through of Shannon Rogers: Myriad, an exhibition of geometric abstraction paintings by Oakland-based artist Shannon Rogers. The show features expansive, intricately constructed works that move between recognizable landscape and abstraction, drawing from archetypal visions of volcanoes, canyons, ruins, and sunsets while geometric structures disrupt coherent perspective. Rogers explores interconnectedness and multiple readings of space, informed by Daoist philosophy. The artist will lead the walk-through.

Explore the Mediterranean diet and regional Italian culinary traditions with Bernadette Festa, MS, RD. Learn the health principles behind this way of eating—its emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and how food traditions vary across Italy—alongside selections of regional recipes from everyday dishes to traditional favorites. Discover how to bring the Mediterranean approach into your own kitchen.

Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá (Not From Here, Not From There) is a multidisciplinary exhibition by artist Victor 'Marka27' Quiñonez exploring the experience of living between worlds. The show features altars, an immersive botanica, paintings referencing textiles and graffiti traditions, and brightly colored resin sculptures of melting Mexican paletas. Accompanying the exhibition, Elevar la Cultura—a twenty-two-foot-tall pyramid built from ice coolers adorned with ancestral textiles and sacred symbols—will be installed at Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos. The cooler sculptures symbolize immigrant labor and survival in the United States, transforming everyday objects into monuments of resilience and cultural pride.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History hosts an annual Día de los Muertos Celebration honoring Latino cultural heritage. The day features musical and dance performances by Senderos, hands-on activities, live music, and community-created altares (ofrendas). Attendees can explore the museum's installations and learn about the holiday's significance from community partners and Senderos leaders, hearing stories of how Día de los Muertos is celebrated locally.

A walking tour through San Francisco's Civic Center, Mid-Market, and SoMa exploring murals, monuments, and public art shaped by collective action and community collaboration. Led by art historian, writer, and skateboarder Ted Barrow, the tour begins at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch at the Maya Angelou monument by Lava Thomas, traces Market Street to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the exhibition *Dread Scott: The Body Politic*, and highlights works celebrating the people and communities that shape San Francisco. The program considers how public art creates spaces for connection, visibility, and collective expression, and examines art as a platform for protest and social justice.

Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. A screening of Comparsa, a documentary following sisters Lesli and Lupe in Ciudad Peonia, Guatemala, who use art and performance to heal community trauma and confront violence against women after 41 girls are killed in a state-run facility. The film explores how they organize a youth movement featuring exuberant street performances, towering puppets, and fire-breathing stilt walkers to reclaim public space and challenge corruption. Built on a 15-year relationship between filmmakers and subjects, it is a portrait of sisterhood, peacebuilding, and art's transformational power.

An afternoon of civic performance and dialogue exploring the U.S. Constitution's historical role and modern relevance. Artist Christy Chan performs readings from the Constitution in reverse, interrogating whose rights it protects and whose it excludes, followed by a moderated panel discussion titled "Whose Constitution?" featuring cultural historian Jeff Chang (moderator), Michael Schulze-Oechtering (CSU East Bay community organizer), and Nicole Ozer (UC Law SF's Center for Constitutional Democracy and Electronic Frontier Foundation). The panel examines citizens' relationship to the Constitution in the present moment.

A curator-led walkthrough of OBJECTS: USA, the landmark 1969 Smithsonian exhibition of American studio craft, now reimagined at the Museum of Craft and Design. Chief Curator Ariel Zaccheo shares curatorial insights and stories behind select works in clay, fiber, glass, metal, and wood, exploring the materials, techniques, and ideas connecting makers across generations. The exhibition features over 70 historic and contemporary works by leading artists and designers, reflecting the Bay Area's central role in developing American studio craft and challenging postwar art hierarchies.

A conversation about Harold Pinter's play Betrayal with Carey Perloff, artistic director of American Conservatory Theater, and Larry Eilenberg, contemporary theatre expert. The discussion explores the themes and dramatic structure of one of Pinter's most celebrated works.

ACX Everywhere is a community gathering hosted by Rationality, AI, and forecasting enthusiasts. Attendees will break into conversation groups by topic—Work after AI, Elections, Book review reviews, Prediction markets & forecasting, The All Souls fishbowl (reading the world's hardest exam questions), and ACX articles that changed your mind—or mingle freely. Organized by Nate Sternberg, Andrew Gaul, and ACX SF, with hosts Austin Chen and Jen Baik.

A hands-on workshop with award-winning author and non-financial retirement coach Larry Jacobson on designing a retirement centered on meaning and fulfillment. Jacobson, a sought-after speaker and circumnavigator, works with participants to develop a purposeful next chapter beyond financial planning.

Join Kepler's Community Reads program for an interactive event centered on *Her Right Foot*, Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris's illustrated exploration of America's identity, borders, immigration, and Lady Liberty's meaning. The afternoon features a collage workshop led by illustrator Shawn Harris (2:00–2:45 PM, all ages welcome) followed by an open community discussion (3:00 PM) about the book's themes of resistance, oppression, and American ideals as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.

Fantasy author Kiri Callaghan discusses writing, worldbuilding, and magic, drawing on her USA Today bestselling works including The Hemlock Saga and The Terra Mirum Chronicles. The event includes a Q&A, book signing, and a special treat courtesy of Wingen Bakery. Books available for purchase from Towne Center Books.

A bimonthly book club discussion of Priya Parker's *The Art of Gathering*, exploring how to create meaningful, intentional gatherings. Hosted by Climate Action Club, a Bay Area community turning climate anxiety into collective action and civic power. Participants bring snacks and discussion, meeting in Washington Park in Burlingame. No prior experience required. Friends, children, and furry companions welcome.

Ethel M.H. Reddy discusses her memoir *I, Ethel*, sharing career advice, beauty guidance, personal stories, and wisdom from close friends and colleagues. The book offers insight into her entrepreneurial spirit and lifelong commitment to excellence.

Filmmakers will participate in a post-screening Q&A. A screening of eight short films from the SF Latino Film Festival's Community Voices program, featuring works by local filmmakers including James Hall, Alma Amancay Herrera-Pazmiño, Naomi Garcia Pasmanick, Noemi Ochoa, Xander R. Trejo, and Nicolas Jara. The program includes narratives ranging from cultural documentation and community art to speculative fiction, with runtimes from 4 to 15 minutes.

Post-screening Q&A with director Jack MacInnes and film subject Israa, moderated by Carrie Lozano. A screening of One in a Million, a ten-year documentary following Israa from age 11 as she and her family flee Syria across the Aegean Sea to Germany, navigating adolescence, identity, and belonging in exile. Co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, the film chronicles war, displacement, and the tension between new freedoms and Syrian traditions.

Colin Jost, Emmy-winning writer and co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update," discusses his career in comedy and media. Jost has been a writer on SNL since 2005 and published the New York Times bestseller "A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir" in 2020. He also hosted "Pop Culture Jeopardy!" on Prime Video in 2024, earning an Emmy nomination. Part of the Silk Speaker Series during CelebrateUSF at the University of San Francisco.

A guided walking tour through San Francisco's Castro neighborhood exploring LGBTQIA+ resistance history, created by Shawn Sprockett, a former senior adjunct professor and practicing designer. The tour traces queer activism from the White Night riots through the AIDS crisis and subsequent police violence, introducing figures including trans doctors, lesbian healthcare workers, and community organizers. Approximately 90 minutes of walking on city sidewalks with one moderate hill, ending at the Lookout bar with a complimentary drink. The tour closes Sprockett's three-part history of queer San Francisco (following North Beach and Tenderloin tours). Runs monthly; ages 21+.

Litquake's closing-night poetry crawl hosted across three simultaneous events at Medicine for Nightmares. 'Grandmas are Griots' (5–6pm, hosted by Allie Jones) honors oral storytelling traditions and matriarchal resistance through readings by Ashia Ajani, Liftawiya, mel, Sara Borjas, and Jones. 'In the Spirit of Kapwa' (6:30–7:30pm, hosted by Tiffani Patton) is presented by Mesa Refuge. 'Pochx Deluxe: An Ode to the California Lengua' (9–10pm, hosted by Lourdes Figueroa) concludes the evening. Each program centers embodied practice, cultural memory, and collective commitment.

Chef and food writer Fuchsia Dunlop celebrates the launch of her cookbook *Five Tastes* with a banquet-style dinner at Mister Jiu's. The evening features dishes from the book prepared by Mister Jiu's kitchen, and each ticket includes a signed copy of *Five Tastes* to take home. Dunlop is the author of *The Sichuan Cookbook* and *Every Grain of Rice*, and her work explores the depth and regional diversity of Chinese cuisine.

Joshua Frank reads from and discusses his book *Bad Energy* in conversation with Scott Parkin at Nomadic Bookshop.

A panel discussion with three accomplished YA horror writers — Yuvashri Harish, Stephanie Kuehn, and Hannah Jayne — exploring their work in the genre. Held at Copperfield's Books just before Halloween.

A screening of the documentary Steal This Story, Please! with journalist Amy Goodman and director Tia Lessin for a post-screening Q&A. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin examine three decades of Amy Goodman's career as a trailblazing investigative journalist at Democracy Now!, covering global conflicts and stories silenced by commercial media. The film explores how Goodman navigates a news landscape reshaped by corporate consolidation and political assaults on truth, offering both a portrait of resistance and a meditation on democracy when the press surrenders to power.

A hands-on poetry translation workshop where participants aged 12–18 (all ages welcome) unlock creativity by translating poems from around the world. Guided by 2025–2027 Poetry Inside Out Teaching Fellows and local translators, attendees work with glossaries and collaborate to dismantle and reassemble poems in new languages. No prior poetry or language skills required. The workshop celebrates translation's multiple possibilities, encouraging participants to share and defend their language choices, followed by spontaneous performance by youth writers.

SpectreVision Radio presents a live Liminal Mic podcast recording exploring Bigfoot encounters and folklore. Real audience members share paranormal experiences with a live panel including Bryce Johnson (Expedition Bigfoot), The 418 Project, and SpectreVision Radio Director Daniel Noah. The event explores the cultural history and contemporary reports of Sasquatch and related cryptids across North America, with particular focus on Northern California sightings. SpectreVision Radio is an independent podcast network founded by filmmaker Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah, exploring the paranormal, esoteric, and unexplained across 62 shows reaching millions of monthly listeners.

The final graduating class of California College of the Arts' MFA in Writing program reads from their work at this Litquake event. The emerging writers—working in fiction, memoir, poetry, and hybrid forms—present pieces that move across borders, histories, families, and imagined futures with wit, ambition, and emotional precision. This reading marks both a farewell to a decades-long program and an introduction to the writers who will carry its legacy forward, affirming that literature remains one of our most powerful ways of attending to one another, to history, and to ourselves.

An evening of poetry and prose centered on resistance and radical dreaming, featuring queer, immigrant, and trans writers speaking to justice and imagining alternatives. Curated and hosted by Baruch Porras Hernandez, the program features poets Preeti Vangani and Gio!, with musical guest Mobby Rosas.

An immersive workshop exploring the esoteric meanings within the poetry of Indian mystic saints—Kabir and Guru Nanak—through indigenous folk songs of the Malwa region. Priyal Maheshwari, a musician and yoga teacher, guides participants by singing and interpreting these 600-year-old oral-tradition songs while accompanying himself on tambura and kartaal. The workshop alternates between song, storytelling about Kabir's life and India's oral traditions, collective reflection, and shared silence. Printed translations enable participants to follow along and join the singing. A contemplative experience designed to deepen self-discovery and a sense of connection.

A free family day at SFMOMA featuring K-pop, art, and creative activities for all ages. Two adults accompanied by a child 18 or younger receive free museum admission; children are always free to RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me (adults require a separate timed ticket). Activities run 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Early RSVP encouraged due to capacity limits.

A full-day family event exploring AI's impact on child development, education, and human connection. The program features research presentations and founder conversations on how generative AI is reshaping childhood learning; panels on skills children need for an AI-driven world; workshops including a philosophy discussion ('Can a robot be a friend?') led by The Paradox Lab; an exhibition on brain development co-created with illustrator Linda Liukas; and a startup showcase where families can try emerging AI products for children. Speakers and workshop leaders include researchers, educators, and builders from leading institutions and startups.

A workshop for aspiring authors seeking to improve their chances of publication with a literary agent or publisher. John Geoghegan, a publishing professional, guides participants through manuscript preparation, agent query strategy, and the submission process for memoirs, novels, and nonfiction works. Hands-on and Q&A focused.

A book discussion for adult children of immigrants exploring mixed cultural identity and belonging. Participants will gather in a small-group salon format to discuss Sahaj Kaur Kohli's memoir and reflect on how bicultural experiences shaped their upbringings and sense of self. The event centers on shared questions about navigating multiple cultural worlds.

The Oakland Museum of California hosts its 32nd annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration, a vibrant day honoring people, traditions, and stories that connect communities across generations. The day opens with a procession led by the Día de los Muertos Committee, featuring music, movement, and collective acts of remembrance. The event includes gallery access and garden programming. ASL interpretation will be provided for outdoor stage events. $10 admission; members and children under 12 are free with advance reservations.

Professor Galen Crantz displays her personal tax returns from 1963–2018 in a one-day public installation, inviting visitors to witness the accumulation of bureaucratic effort embedded in decades of filing. Attendees are welcome to bring their own tax documents (older than 7 years) to shred manually onsite or deposit in secure bins for later shredding at Berkeley Shreds. The exhibition critiques the collective time investment required by tax filing and asks what more productive uses of our effort might look like.

Join the Asian Art Museum's Kasama Festival celebrating Filipino American History Month. Michelle Sterling, children's book author, discusses *When Lola Visits*, her story of a young girl spending a summer with her grandmother from the Philippines. The book weaves Tagalog songs and mango jam into an evocative tale of familial love spanning oceans and generations.

Nebula and Hugo Award–winning author Charlie Jane Anders celebrates the launch of her new Star Trek comic series, Star Trek Zero Point, set a few years after Star Trek: Picard season 3. Anders will discuss the inspiration behind the series, Trek's message of fighting intolerance in 2026, and why it resonates now. The story follows Captain Raffi Musiker commanding a starship tasked with preventing future disasters, guided by a powerful A.I. wearing the face of a familiar ally. Meet-and-greet and signing follow. Special guests include the USS Golden Gate fan club, formed in 1993, which celebrates Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations across the Bay Area.

An open house at the Headlands Center for the Arts' Marin County campus offering a seasonal chance to visit artist studios, meet residents and fellows, view works in progress, and attend screenings, performances, and readings. Tour the various buildings, see current installations in the Project Space, and enjoy lunch at the Mess Hall. Limited parking; carpooling and biking encouraged.

Post-screening Q&A with the filmmaker. A screening of Libertad, a documentary about Alejandra, an Indigenous transgender woman from Oaxaca, Mexico who fled violence 30 years ago and now seeks reunion with her elderly mother while advocating for immigrant, LGBTQ+, and indigenous rights in California. The film explores family, identity, and the transnational challenges of survival and solidarity across borders. Part of the 18th annual SF Latino Film Festival at the Roxie Theater.

Introduction by directors Stephens and Sprinkle with Q&A moderated by Madison Young. A screening of Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency, a documentary by Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle about ecological grief, resilience, and transformation in the aftermath of California's wildfires. When lightning forces the longtime lovers to evacuate their Boulder Creek home, they channel loss into ecosexual art and environmental activism, weaving stories from formerly incarcerated firefighters, Indigenous scholars, fire artists, and community members. The film explores fire as destructive, regenerative, and erotic force while centering queer resilience amid climate crisis.

A 30-minute gallery talk with Batul True Heart, a 2Spirit Yaqui-Chicane and Panamanian death and grief worker, herbal medicine maker, and emotional release specialist. Batul will share their personal experience practicing traditional medicine during times of mourning, discussing the path to earth-based ancestral medicine, Indigenous perspectives on emotion, and practical ways to connect with feelings, the earth, and natural elements. As part of OMCA's Día de los Muertos Community Celebration, they will introduce cempoalxóchitl (marigold) and how to work with it during grief. Batul co-creates Floripondio End of Life Planning and Services and produces Maaso Medicina: Flower Medicine for Ancestral, Generational, and Personal Pain.

Rite Life is a workshop blending automatic writing with ancestor veneration practices, designed to confront difficult emotions and celebrate what sustains us. Facilitated by Gabe alongside local writers and spiritual practitioners, the workshop carries forward the vision of poet and spiritual teacher Honeysun, who conceived it in 2016. Participants of all ages engage in guided writing and reflective practice in the museum's cemetery setting. All ages welcome.

Examining the rise and fall of the Voting Rights Act from its triumphant passage in 1965 to its recent evisceration by the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision, Kevin T. Morris explores the ongoing struggle to protect voting rights in America. Morris contextualizes the landmark 1965 legislation within decades of civil rights history and analyzes the legal and political forces that have systematically dismantled its protections.

Adam Wilson discusses his darkly comic novel *Fail Sons*, about two estranged brothers who drive their father's cryonically frozen body across a divided America to its final resting place. A 21st-century story exploring masculinity and grief. In conversation with Nina Schloesser Tárano.

A writing workshop on Filipina/x poetry and poetics hosted by Barbara Jane Reyes, Bay Area author and educator. Participants will read and discuss poems by Filipina/x poets from the Philippines and diaspora, examining language, form, and themes of power, patriarchy, and subversion. The workshop concludes with participants writing their own poems. Reyes has published six books including Gravities of Center, Diwata, and Letters to a Young Brown Girl, with Daughtersong Diaspore forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press in 2027.

A workshop exploring Catholic Social Teaching as a living tradition of shared discernment on justice and human dignity. Fr. William O'Neill, a Jesuit scholar and resident at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center, draws on his work in refugee camps across Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan to address how we embody CST's vision today—encompassing human rights, ecological ethics, immigration policy, and restorative justice. The session includes structured conversation and reflection, open to Christians and non-Christians alike.

A double panel discussion featuring participants from the Jack Mason Museum's ongoing oral history projects. The first panel explores Growing New Food Systems: Innovative Agriculture and Land Conservation in West Marin County; the second, Building Community: Young People Transform West Marin in the 1970s. Panelists include Dennis and Sandy Dierks and other local participants whose lived experience shaped the region's agricultural and social landscape. Hosted by The Dance Palace and moderated by Dewey.

We are pleased to host author Linda Drattell for Coffee & Conversation on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 2:00 pm at Towne Center Books (555 Main St, Pleasanton, CA). We will also be joined by sign language interpreter Becky Kasyanova. This is a free event but RSVP's are appreciated. You can RSVP below or you can call 925-846-8826 during store hours.

Open house at Winslow House Project featuring the exhibition 'Truth Burial: Text It from the Tub', with artists Quim McLauchlan, Isabella Marie Garcia, Dana Morrison, Maria Dolores A. Matienzo, and Kris Goodie. RSVP to kim@winslowhouseproject.org.

Comedian and Monty Python founder Eric Idle discusses his memoir *Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme*, an equal-parts memoir and travelogue exploring his time in the French countryside. In conversation with author Dave Eggers, Idle reflects on a life of comedy, creativity, and misadventure. Hosted by Book Passage.

An intimate, facilitated philosophical dialogue on how AI is changing everyday life. Resonance Salons bring together people across tech, art, care, and community for Socratic-style conversation on rotating monthly themes. Each session includes guided group discussion and a creative share—music, writing, poetry, or other forms of expression. Dinner and drinks provided.

A witty, chess-playing stray cat tries to elude a catnapper while helping two tournament-bound schoolkids navigate life's challenges. Authors Ilona Bray and Stephen C.S. Soong discuss their novel.

John Briscoe, SF poet, lawyer, and restaurateur, discusses the plagiarism of women's writing in the Western canon—examining how female authors have been erased, misattributed, or had their work appropriated within literary history.

Medical anthropologist and author Sherine Hamdy discusses her debut graphic novel Landing in Place (Penguin Random House, 2026), illustrated by Myra El Mir. The coming-of-age story follows Anisa, an Egyptian American college freshman navigating premed expectations, identity, and artistic aspiration as she spends time in Cairo discovering her own voice. Hamdy is a leading scholar of Muslim medical ethics and the political economy of disease in Egypt, and a pioneering advocate for academics sharing research across multiple media forms, including her co-authored graphic novel Lissa: A Story of Friendship, Medical Promise, and Revolution.

Drag Story Time as a Site of Resistance, Queer World-Making and Community Building — a lecture by Danny Castillo (they/them), an emerging queer scholar and multidisciplinary artist specializing in queer anthropology and child development at San Jose State University. Castillo recently co-organized "Rhinestone Skies: A Night of Drag and Poetry," a family-friendly evening at the San Jose Museum of Art, and is a fellow for the Bay Area Artist Census. Part of the Carol Mukhopadhyay Feminist Lecture Series.

Sharon Weill, Professor of International Law and Director of the Justice Lab at American University of Paris, discusses her ethnographic study of terrorism trials in France, published by Cambridge University Press. Based on hundreds of courtroom observation days spanning small cases to landmark trials including the Charlie Hebdo and Bataclan proceedings, the book examines how terrorism logics are negotiated within criminal proceedings. Through courtroom immersion, legal performance analysis, and interviews with judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and victims, Weill investigates how justice actually functions in practice and traces three generations of evolving trial approaches. The work offers both empirical insights into French criminal procedure and comparative perspective for Anglophone readers unfamiliar with civil law systems.

Hiroyuki Murase, CEO and Creative Director of suzusan, discusses the textile brand's mission to bring traditional Japanese shibori dyeing into contemporary fashion. Murase reflects on the relationship between tradition and innovation, local identity and global exchange, and design's role in shaping a sustainable future for craftsmanship.

Judge Thelton Henderson, UC Berkeley Law Class of 1962, shares stories and insights from his career as a civil rights lawyer and federal judge, in conversation with Federal Appeals Court Judge and UC Berkeley Law Professor William Fletcher. Henderson's work spans landmark civil rights cases and his tenure on the federal bench, offering a window into judicial reasoning and social change advocacy.

A screening of Young China, a documentary retracing Sun Yat-sen's travels across six American cities through historic sites, archival materials, and interviews with descendants and community members. The film explores Sun Yat-sen's deep connections to the United States and the Chinese American communities who supported his revolutionary work over a century ago. Following the screening, a live panel with descendants, scholars, and community members invites reflection on immigration, identity, community involvement, and trans-Pacific history. Part of a special program marking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth.

How did Iraq and Syria navigate independence in the 1940s–50s, balancing constitutional democracy with military intervention and emergency rule? Matthieu Rey, senior researcher at CNRS-EHESS and former director of the Contemporary Studies Department at IFPO Beirut, examines this contradictory political legacy — the flourishing of parliaments, parties, and civil society alongside authoritarian constraints and military interference. Drawing on 15 years of fieldwork across the Middle East and his book *Histoire de la Syrie*, Rey explores the foundational questions both countries faced: who deserved citizenship, how to develop the nation, and how to distribute power between executive and legislature. These tensions, he argues, prefigure struggles that continue today.

A panel discussion on Abiya Ahmed's new book *Being Muslim on Campus: Religion, Inclusion, and Agency at a Secular University* (OUP, 2026), examining the intersection of scholarship and institutional practice. Ahmed, PhD '21, is Director of the Markaz Resource Center and Associate Dean of Students at Stanford. The panel features Anna Bigelow (Associate Professor of Religious Studies), Anthony Antonio (Associate Professor of Education), and Samuel Santos (Senior Associate Vice Provost of Student Affairs), chaired by Shirin Sinnar (William W. and Gertrude H. Saunders Professor of Law) and Alexander Key (Associate Professor of Comparative Literature).

A lecture on aging and eldercare in fin-de-siècle Russian and Yiddish theater, examining how playwrights Anton Chekhov and Jacob Gordin represented old age and care on stage. Gabriella Safran, professor at Stanford University, explores how these two literary traditions approached the theme of aging during this period of cultural and social transformation.

Blake J. Harris discusses his authorized biography of Larry David, the legendary comedian and co-creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The book draws on exclusive interviews with David himself and explores his career, creative process, and cultural impact. Harris is a bestselling author and cultural critic.

A Theory of Operatic Scene Type. Joy H. Calico, Professor of Musicology at UCLA, presents her theory of operatic scenes as recurring narrative and musical nodes — love duets, diegetic songs, rage arias — that constitute a kind of operatic DNA recognizable across centuries and musical styles. Drawing on examples from twentieth- and twenty-first-century opera, including Kaija Saariaho's L'amour de loin, Calico demonstrates how scene types transcend composer, subgenre, and style to reveal deep structural patterns in how opera makes meaning through music, character, and performance.

Brandon Mull discusses his new novel Guardians: Forbidden Mountain, sharing insights into his writing process and answering questions from readers. The bestselling author of The Fablehaven series and Beyonders returns to Rakestraw Books for an after-school event.

Emily Ogden discusses her biography *Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe* (Viking) in conversation with Point Reyes Books owner Stephen Sparks. Ogden explores Poe's life and enduring influence on American literature and culture.

Has the Democratic Party lost its soul? Author and former Democratic operative Evan Barker discusses her inside story of departing from the party, arguing it has been hijacked by out-of-touch activists, coastal elitists, and special interests. She explores her political disillusionment in conversation with Sarah McCammon, National Correspondent for NPR.

A book talk on China's prison camps, their Soviet roots, and the threats to journalists investigating them. Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Vice President of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at Asia Society and former Berkeley Journalism dean, discusses his research with Adam Hochschild, author of *The Unquiet Ghost* and *King Leopold's Ghost* and lecturer at Berkeley Journalism. Welcoming remarks from Sasha Schell, supervising reporter at the Human Rights Center. Hosted by the Human Rights Center at Berkeley Law.

Twenty writers pitch their unpublished books in one-minute rounds, judged by publishing professionals Arielle Eckstut and David Sterry. Modeled on American Idol but gentler, Pitchapalooza gives aspiring authors direct feedback on their pitch and a chance to connect with agents, editors, and fellow writers. Open to writers at any stage of development.

Timothy Pakron, cookbook author and food blogger, discusses his latest book *Garden Variety*, a collection of recipes inspired by his garden. Pakron is the creator of Mississippi Vegan, which explores plant and mushroom cooking by merging Southern culinary traditions with veganism. His work has been featured by NPR, Garden & Gun, Food & Wine, and other national outlets. He will be joined by Erica Schneider.

Daniel Peña, Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Associate Professor at the University of North Texas, discusses his essay collection How to Look Away, which explores how fringe elements of his Texas childhood—AM radio, conspiracy theories, post-Cold War paranoia—came to dominate American political discourse and enabled tolerance for human rights abuses against Latin American migrants. Through journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir, Peña reflects on American citizenship, belonging, and complicity, asking: what compels us to look away from these abuses, and how do we wake ourselves into action?

Who gets called a witch—and what happens when people believe them? UC Berkeley PhD candidate Ilyssa Forman traces the history of American witch hunts from Salem through the Lavender Scare, exploring how the idea of the witch has been weaponized against those deemed dangerous by society: women who refused to obey, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, sex workers, and other criminalized "others." Through centuries of American fear and difference, Forman asks what makes witch hunts possible, why people become convinced danger hides among them, and what happens when the hunt outlasts the supposed threat. A lecture on power, persecution, and the language of exclusion, followed by Q&A and discussion.

A celebration of Fatimah Asghar's sophomore poetry collection *Daughter of the Mountains*, with writers R.O. Kwon and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Asghar's collection explores exile, ancestry, spirituality, and belonging through meditative poems that grapple with loss, longing, and love. Kwon is author of the National Book Critics Circle finalist *The Incendiaries* and *Exhibit*. Rojas Contreras is author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist memoir *The Man Who Could Move Clouds* and the novel *Fruit of the Drunken Tree*. Hosted at The Booksmith. Seats available by advance book purchase or $3 sliding-scale donation; general admission on a first-come, first-served basis.

National Book Award finalist Fady Joudah discusses Exhibit G, a collection of poems, essays, and photographs offering a Palestinian representation of Gaza's devastation and resilience. Writing from his perspective as a Palestinian American physician, Joudah explores the paradoxes of witnessing destruction from afar while caring for the sick in the US. The book combines personal reflection with images from Gaza, insisting on Palestinian interiority and the survival of beauty amid genocide. Proceeds benefit Gaza Soup Kitchen.

A talk with Ken Knabb, translator of Guy Debord and the Situationist International and author of The Joy of Revolution. Knabb's masterwork examines modern revolutionary possibilities through a situationist lens, analyzing radical tactics across ordinary and extraordinary conditions, and envisioning postrevolutionary liberated communities. This new edition includes updates, detourned comics, reviews, analyses of Occupy and Trump-era resistance, and reflections on the coronavirus shutdown.

A screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre (1989), followed by discussion with local photographer and film enthusiast Tommy Milutin. This haunting, dreamlike odyssey follows a traumatized circus performer navigating a surreal world shaped by his mother's influence, past violence, and distorted love—blending horror, spirituality, and psychological turmoil into a strikingly unconventional cinematic experience.

Ken Goldberg, Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley, discusses his work as part of the Berkeley Writers at Work series. The event takes place Tuesday, October 27, noon–1:30 pm.

Maisha T. Winn, Excellence in Learning Professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Education, discusses her historical ethnography *Futuring Black Lives*, examining Black institution builders of the late 1960s–70s who used publications and literary imagination to shape education for Black children. The book traces how Independent Black Institutions anchored shared Black values while preparing students in identity, purpose, and direction—a model Winn argues remains vital amid current racial disparities in schooling, disproportionate discipline of Black students, and attacks on children's literature through censorship and book bans. She demonstrates how historical archives of Black educational thought can inform contemporary equity and justice work in schools.

An introduction to materia's yearly theme exploring micropower and the non-human. The reading session engages Foucault's concept of the microphysics of power from *Discipline and Punish*, examining how power operates between state apparatuses and material bodies—understood in an expanded, non-human sense. Participants will consider contemporary manifestations like algorithmic governance and corporate attention capture. The session includes excerpts from Foucault, Jane Bennett's *The Force of Things*, Clarice Lispector's *The Hour of the Star*, and Nerea Barjola Ramos' *The Sexist Microphysics of Power*. Organized by materia, a Stanford-based Latin Americanist humanities collective.

A reading and conversation with Palestinian American physician, poet, and translator Fady Joudah, whose newest collection, Exhibit G, comprises poems, essays, and photographs offering a Palestinian perspective on grief, resilience, and survival amid genocide. Joudah is an acclaimed translator of Arabic poetry, including works by Mahmoud Darwish, and has won the Yale Younger Poets Prize, Griffin Poetry Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, and American Book Award, among others. He co-founded the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize and practices internal medicine in Houston.

A presentation and discussion of *Depose: Luigi Mangione, the Right to Health, and the Unfinished American Revolution*, written by the December 4 Legal Committee, which created Luigi Mangione's legal defense fund. The book brings the American healthcare debate to fundamental political questions: Who profits from sickness? Who gets access to health? What would a healthcare system serving everyone look like? A spokesperson for the authors will present.

An open class session of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts' Intro to IDA course, exploring power, art, and practice through conversation with scholars working across disciplines—theater, performance, visual art, music, and film. Associate Professors Matthew Morrison (African and African American Studies) and Usha Iyer (Art and Art History) lead a facilitated discussion using the Long Table format, inspired by the practice of legendary queer performance duo Split Britches (Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver), examining how artists engage these themes both within and beyond the university.

A series of educational sessions throughout October exploring the history and traditions of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), culminating in the 4th Camino de los Muertos on November 1st. The program examines the meanings behind key elements of the celebration—the ofrenda (altar), calaveras (skulls), catrinas (dapper lady skulls), cempasúchil (marigolds), and more—with particular focus on place, memory, and resistance in altar-making practices. Hosted by Santa Clara University, open to the community.

A conversation with past and current leaders of UC Berkeley's Center for the Study of Sexual Culture surveying trans and queer studies scholarship, documenting attacks on LGBT studies, and exploring how the field might move beyond defensive responses. The dialogue will highlight the social movements, artistic interventions, and research reshaping the field. Featuring Mel Y. Chen (Gender & Women's Studies), Michael Lucey (French and Comparative Literature), and Roshanak Kheshti (Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies), moderated by Eric A. Stanley (Gender and Women's Studies).

A reading and conversation with Fady Joudah, Palestinian American physician, poet, and translator. Joudah will discuss his newest collection, *Exhibit G: Poems, Essays, and Photographs of Gaza*, which combines poetry, essays, and photographs to document Palestinian grief, resilience, and life under genocide. A multiple-award winner—including the Yale Younger Poets Prize, Griffin Poetry Prize, and American Book Award—Joudah has also translated works by Mahmoud Darwish and co-founded the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize. *Exhibit G* will be available for purchase and signing.

Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times columnist, bestselling author, and documentarian, discusses his path from an Oregon farm to leadership on global justice and climate issues. Kristof's journalism and films have brought urgent humanitarian and environmental stories to millions, bridging the gap between reporting and advocacy. This talk explores how journalism can drive change on the world's most pressing challenges.

USA Today bestselling author Adam Plantinga discusses his latest thriller, Dark Country, the newest installment in the Kurt Argento series. Argento finds himself shielding a teenage boy caught up in a dangerous manhunt in this explosive crime novel.

A screening of Saving 4 Seconds, a documentary about Bay Area efforts to implement life-saving suicide-prevention policy on the Golden Gate Bridge. The film features interviews with local families, advocates, and elected officials who championed the policy, along with never-before-seen CCTV footage of bridge employees intervening to save lives. Hosted by SPUR Urban Center, a trusted civic institution.

A screening of The Unbroken Sky, a narrative dramatic film adapted from the memoirs of Francisco Jiménez, chronicling his family's journey as immigrant farmworkers in California—their labor in the fields, struggle to access school, and fear of deportation. The screening is followed by a fireside chat between Francisco Jiménez, Professor Emeritus at Santa Clara University, and Tomás Jiménez, Professor of Sociology at Stanford and Founding Faculty Director of the Institute for Advancing Just Societies. A Q&A with the production team—director Josh Peterson, executive producer Normandie Ramirez, and producer Robin Mortarotti—concludes the evening. Jiménez's four-book memoir series, The Circuit, Breaking Through, Reaching Out, and Taking Hold, is recognized among the American Library Association's 50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.

Dr. Catie Cuan, founder of ART Lab (AI Robot Technology) and pioneer in choreorobotics, explores what happens when artificial intelligence moves beyond screens into physical robots. Drawing on her background in dance and robotics, she argues that movement is not merely functional but expressive—shaping emotion, trust, and human connection. Through examples including robots trained to improvise, respond to human gestures, and move collectively, Cuan demonstrates how choreography informs the design of intuitive, responsive, and human-centered machines. Part of UC Berkeley's Design Field Notes lecture series.

What happens when humanitarian workers operate in one of the world's most closed and repressive regimes? Kathi Zellwegger shares firsthand insights from her experience providing humanitarian aid on the ground in North Korea, offering rare perspective on daily life, state control, and the possibilities for engagement with the isolated communist state. In conversation with Mike Chinoy, journalist and Korea expert.

A screening and conversation around Lynn Novick's forthcoming PBS documentary Crime and Punishment in America, executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard. Novick, an acclaimed filmmaker whose previous work includes documentaries on American history and institutions, will discuss how the United States became the world's leading incarcerator and explore the forces behind mass incarceration. Co-presented by Commonwealth Club World Affairs and KQED Live.

A teach-in and conversation exploring Stanford's legacy of student activism and multiracial solidarity. Student organizers from the Stanford Asian American Action Committee, League of Filipino Students, and Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine reflect on how the 1980s Rainbow Coalition won resources for communities of color, including the establishment of the Asian American Activities Center, and discuss lessons for contemporary organizing.

A reading and conversation celebrating *Best Literary Translations 2026*, an annual anthology edited by National Book Award winner Arthur Sze featuring poetry and prose translated from 62 languages—from French to Xitsonga, Korean to Guaraní. Translators Wendy Call (author and co-founder of the anthology, recent Fulbright Scholar to Colombia), Dmitri Manin (whose translation of Nikolay Zabolotsky's *Columns* was shortlisted for the NCBA and ALTA First Translation Prize), and Ilze Duarte (translator of Marilia Arnaud's *The Book of Affects*) will read from their work, discuss the craft and discovery of translation, and answer questions. The event concludes with a book signing.

Explore how our relationships with cities, parks, and the more-than-human world shape our future in this panel inspired by Susanna Kwan's *Awake in the Floating City*, the 2026 One City One Book selection. Drawing on five years of the Parks as Ancestors series, the conversation expands beyond protected parklands to consider urban spaces as living legacies. Local community leaders working on place-based environmental justice—including moderator Yakuta Poonawalla of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy—reflect on memory, loss, connection, and responsibility across generations and cultures. The panel coincides with Indigenous Peoples' Day, Día de los Muertos, and Diwali, inviting participants to consider what we inherit from places and people who came before us, and what we will leave behind. Attendees may bring a photograph or sentimental object honoring someone they have lost.

Fatimah Asghar discusses her debut poetry collection *Daughter of the Mountains*, which explores exile, displacement, belonging, spirituality, and lineage through meditative, formally inventive verse. The collection grapples with fulfillment, betrayal, love, loss, and longing, using vivid imagery and disruptive form to examine how place and environment inform spiritual practice. Asghar appears in conversation with poet Hieu Minh Nguyen.

A panel exploring film, the internet, and human agency in the digital age. Bara Kolenc, Gregor Moder, and Jure Simoniti (University of Ljubljana, Department of Philosophy) discuss where subjectivity is located when AI shapes cinema and ideology shapes desire online. Topics include Lubitsch's *To Be or Not to Be* as a meditation on theatrical power, and the dialectic between image and narrative in American versus European cinema. Moderated by Pavle Levi, Stanford Department of Art & Art History.

A screening of the 70-minute documentary Remathau: People of the Ocean featuring Dr. Nicole Yamase, the first Micronesian to earn a PhD in Marine Biology and reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The film explores her historic dive alongside themes of identity, culture, and belonging, reconnecting with the resilience of her people and the ocean navigation wisdom of earlier generations. Yamase, Director of Impact at OneReef, leads efforts to advance ocean science, conservation, and community-led stewardship across Micronesia. Hosted by Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability.

A release-night celebration for the new ACOTAR novel featuring wine tasting with a special guest winemaker, book & wine trivia, costume prizes, photo opportunities, and the Suriel's Prophecy Board for reader predictions. Attendees are encouraged to dress in character — Night Court black, Spring Court florals, full Illyrian leathers, or power wear of choice. NA options available.

A moderated conversation with legendary turntablists DJ Qbert and DJ Shortkut exploring their creative journeys, technical innovation, and impact on turntablism as a respected musical discipline. The discussion covers their Filipino heritage, artistic longevity, and commitment to supporting the next generation through education and workshops. Moderated by Kendo the DJ, founder of Mixsterious. A short live demonstration of their technical skill and performance style may be included.

Julie Orringer, bestselling author of *The Invisible Bridge*, discusses her new novel *Luna, Phoenix, Queen*—a work exploring infidelity, literary provenance, and storytelling's transformative power. Orringer's fiction is known for its intricate narratives spanning continents and eras, weaving together historical and contemporary themes. This is an opportunity to hear directly from the author about her creative process and the ideas animating her latest work.

Learn how to craft a powerful pitch to land an agent, secure a book deal, or succeed at self-publishing. Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, co-authors of *The Essential Pitch*, share strategies for one of publishing's most critical but underestimated tools. Ideal for aspiring and established writers seeking to navigate the publishing landscape.

Poet, author, filmmaker, and educator Amber Allen-Peirson reads from her poetry collection *The Unrooted Bloom*, exploring race, biracial identity, motherhood, family, grief, love, ancestry, and belonging. The intimate, lyrical poems move through the spaces between identities and expectations, asking where we belong, who we are when freed from others' needs, what we've inherited, and what we choose to carry or release. Throughout the reading, audience members are invited to turn these questions toward their own lives and identities.

A screening of When ICE Melts, a feature-length documentary about resistance to Operation Metro Surge and ICE enforcement in Minnesota's Twin Cities, with director Kip Hedges in person for a post-screening Q&A moderated by SFSU Faculty and CFA member Blanca Missé. The film follows organizers, community leaders, and working-class resistance across neighborhoods, workplaces, and unions, including footage of the January 23 mass strike. It examines strategic lessons in building democratic structures and solidarity to confront authoritarianism, designed as a resource for organizers and activists in other cities.

A lecture on Frank Netter's groundbreaking medical illustrations and the intersection of art and science in medical education. Dr. Wen Shen, an endocrine surgeon with a master's degree in the history of medicine, explores Netter's career and his profound influence on how physicians visualize and understand the human body. Part of the Orlo H. Clark Lectureship series.

A fireside chat with Patrice D. Douglass on the philosophical and social dimensions of Black ontology, absence, and what theorists call social death—the historical and ongoing erasure of Black humanity and presence. Douglass brings critical scholarship to bear on how Blackness has been theorized, negated, and reclaimed.

Morgan Eckroth (@MorganDrinksCoffee), 2022 US Barista Champion and Director of Onyx Academy, discusses their book *Coffee, for Here*, a practical handbook for brewing with confidence at home. From bean origins and flavor profiles to approachable brewing techniques, Eckroth meets readers at every level—whether beginners or refiners—breaking down each step with the warm hospitality and inventive approach that has made them a leading voice in coffee education across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

A monthly gathering for graphic novel enthusiasts featuring author talks, participant recommendations, and collaborative drawing and writing sessions. The October 27th meeting features Rina Ayuyang, an Eisner-nominated cartoonist and 25-year veteran of the Bay Area indie comics scene. Ayuyang's latest graphic novel, *The Man in the McIntosh Suit*, was named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Public Library. Meetings held the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Rabbi Shais Rishon, spiritual leader of Ohel Eidot CHeMDaT"A (the first African American-led and -centered synagogue in Washington, D.C.), discusses his book *The Souls of Black Jewish Folk*, published under his pseudonym MaNishtana. Drawing on a personal legacy of African American Judaism stretching to the 1780s and his upbringing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community, Rishon explores how Jewish tradition, racial identity, and contemporary American life intersect. He will be in conversation with a member of the USF faculty.

Elena Dudum celebrates her debut memoir, *They Told Me Back Home Would Be Beautiful*, at the independent bookshop where she grew up in the West Portal community. Dudum discusses her new work exploring memory, identity, and homecoming.

Veteran journalist Jonathan Weber, founding editor of The San Francisco Standard, discusses his book *City on the Edge* in conversation with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone. Drawing on nearly 200 interviews with elected officials, tech leaders, activists, and artists, the book chronicles San Francisco's transformation from cultural hub to global technology center, exploring the conflicts and pivotal decisions that shaped one of the world's most influential cities—and what they reveal about its future.

How does compassion differ across cultures? Birgit Koopmann-Holm, Associate Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University, presents research on how people in the United States, Ecuador, Mexico, China, and Germany understand compassionate responses to suffering. Drawing on hypothetical scenarios and real experiences of bereavement, she shows that cultures systematically differ in whether they favor sharing in someone's pain, helping them toward positive emotions, or balancing both. These differences persist in real grief experiences, suggesting people from different backgrounds may need different kinds of support while grieving. The lecture explores what true compassion means across cultural contexts.

Bestselling historian and former criminal defense attorney Mark Shaw discusses his book *Girl Around the World*, which reveals the untold friendship between pioneering journalist Dorothy Kilgallen and aviator Amelia Earhart in the mid-1930s. Shaw explores how these trailblazing women supported each other's groundbreaking achievements—Kilgallen's famous 1936 24-day solo race around the globe and Earhart's historic transatlantic flights—and Kilgallen's response to Earhart's mysterious disappearance in 1937. Shaw is the author of *The Reporter Who Knew Too Much* and nearly 30 other books, with presentations garnering over 16 million YouTube views.

A discussion of Jenn Scott's debut novel *All the Tiny Beauties*, which spans 90 years in Oakland and explores shifting notions of self across generations through interconnected stories: a reclusive man, his estranged daughter, and a young housemate who form an unlikely friendship that defies age and expectation. Scott and facilitator Andrea Gough examine how the novel grapples with the fragility of identity, societal constraints on authentic selfhood, and the question of who we might become under different circumstances. Scott's work has appeared in *Fiction*, *Gettysburg Review*, and *Alaska Quarterly Review*; her debut collection *Her Adult Life* was longlisted for the PEN America/Bingham Award. Gough is an educator specializing in discussion-based curricula and the transformative power of literature to unsettle and expand thinking.

Zara Marielle reads from and discusses her debut fantasy novel *The Café of Infinite Doors*, a story woven from Scottish mythology and feminist themes. The novel follows Marceline, a sheltered twenty-three-year-old who discovers a magical café—a refuge from her controlling husband—run by a mysteriously feathered woman named Lucretia, her partner Kilda, and Sylvan. When the café's portals begin closing and darkness looms, Marceline must choose between her hard-fought freedom and protecting her newfound family. Marielle is a former ESL teacher and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Edinburgh.

A celebration of San Francisco's stairways featuring authors Mary Burk (Stairway Walks in San Francisco) and Alexandra Kenin (Urban Trails series). Moderator Liz Novoa hosts an SF stairway trivia game while Burk and Kenin share stories of the city's known and hidden stairways, best views, secret gardens, and a detailed map of SF's roughly 1,000 stairways. The grand finale of SF Stairway Month, organized by Glen Park Beautiful as part of the inaugural Walktober celebration.

Screenwriter Matthew Aldrich discusses his debut novel about a billionaire tech visionary who discovers a method to stop aging. A propulsive exploration of ambition, mortality, and the ethics of technological transcendence, featuring a book signing.

Prof. Thomas Targett separates fact from fiction in depictions of outer space, examining how Hollywood's portrayals in Star Trek, Star Wars, and other films and television shows compare to actual astronomy. A fun and informative exploration of where science and entertainment intersect.

A book talk and launch celebration for critical theorist and UC Berkeley author Grace Lavery's new work, *Personal Demons*. Lavery discusses her writing with Damon Young.

Theatre and Dance Professor Katie Dowse discusses the pedagogy of her course on costume design as world-building, examining how visual design communicates identity, hierarchy, environment, and ideology across theatre, film, and television. The course approaches costume as an interdisciplinary interface between fantasy, technology, contemporary global conditions, and visual storytelling, exploring how costume shapes relationships between body, space, material, and audience.

Historian David Henkin (UC Berkeley) discusses *Out of the Ballpark* (Oxford, 2026), a reconsideration of baseball's character and meaning that challenges familiar mythologies about the sport. Rather than treating baseball as uniquely American or examining only on-field action, Henkin traces the game's history across borders and centuries, exploring its structures, rituals, and resonances with labor, imperialism, race, media, and modernity. He's joined in conversation by philosopher Alva Noë (UC Berkeley), followed by audience questions.

Economic historian Jan de Vries, Ehrman Professor Emeritus of History at UC Berkeley, presents his newly published book *Life, Death, & Migration in the Early Modern City*, which explores urban demographic dynamics, migration patterns, and social life in a German city around 1700. De Vries is a pioneering scholar of Dutch economic development during the industrial revolution whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of early modern European urbanism and economic change.

Two UC Berkeley PhD researchers present work on postcolonial Africa and the archive. Derek Allen (Hispanic Languages and Literatures) discusses postcolonial identity in Luso-Afro-Brazilian literature and film depicting the Luso-African wars for independence and the Mozambican and Angolan civil wars. Chukwudi Isiani (History) explores how architecture functioned as an archive of imperial power in Eastern Nigeria from 1857 to 1960. Part of Berkeley's African Studies lunch seminar series.

A panel examining Isaac Julien's 1991 film Young Soul Rebels, exploring temporality, memory, Black culture, and film theory. Rizvana Bradley (UC Berkeley) discusses the intervallic and phenomenology in Julien's work and Black critical theory. Donna V. Jones (UC San Diego) reflects on how film communicates history through multiple simultaneities, drawing on her experience watching the film in post-Thatcher Britain. Isaac Julien is present. Hosted by the Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.

A guided observation-based exploration of 'a small ocean swallowed', an exhibition of contemporary art centering water, ecology, and human-environmental relationships. Led by Shelby Hendricks, the museum's group tour and family programs manager, participants will engage in close looking and discussion of work by six intergenerational and international feminist artists—Sholeh Asgary, Patricia Belli, Kiyo Gutiérrez, Jessie Homer French, Erin Jane Nelson, and Sunaura Taylor—whose pieces explore the material, sociopolitical, and cultural histories of specific waterways and grieve lives lost to human intervention while celebrating paths of collective healing and resistance.

A discussion of decolonial approaches to human rights practice, examining the power imbalances between Global North and Global South advocacy organizations. The authors of *Decolonial Human Rights Practice: Tactics, Obstacles, and Futures* explore how domination persists within transnational human rights work and strategies for transforming it.

Chris Baker and Alysia Gonzales read from their work at the Writers Grotto's Words & Stories Reading Series.

A conversation on critical race theory with Osagie K. Obasogie, Haas Distinguished Chair and Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, and Savala Nolan. They will explore CRT's core tenets, its applications and misapplications across law, politics, and culture, and how students can deploy its analytical frameworks for social justice work inside and beyond law school. Obasogie's research spans law, race, and medicine, examining policing, bioethics, and reproductive technologies.

Lesley Currier of Shakespeare for Social Justice discusses the organization's work bringing Shakespeare courses and performing arts programs to fourteen California state prisons and rehabilitation centers since 2003. Participants will explore the crisis of mass incarceration in California and the U.S., and engage in creative exercises demonstrating theater's capacity to build empathy, foster connection, and transform lives. The event combines lecture with interactive workshop components.

A conversation with Professor Emeritus Charles P. Henry about his new memoir exploring his involvement in pivotal social movements—the search for social identity and the fight for civil and human rights. Drawing on personal experiences of place, memory, family, and Black Studies, Henry's narrative expands to broader issues including the Black diaspora, global community, and intersectionality. Henry is Professor Emeritus of African American Studies at UC Berkeley, former chair of Amnesty International U.S.A., and author of eight books on Black politics, public policy, and human rights.

A screening of two films centering disability narratives and experiences, part of UC Berkeley's commitment to accessible public programming. The event highlights filmmaking that amplifies disabled voices and perspectives, fostering dialogue around disability representation and social inclusion. Free and open to the public with accessibility accommodations.

A conversation on Pakistan's democracy, secularism in the global South, and the political demands of the current moment with Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a distinguished Pakistani physicist, public intellectual, and longtime advocate for science and secular thought. Hoodbhoy taught physics for 47 years at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad and founded The Black Hole, a community space dedicated to science, art, and culture.

A roundtable discussion with Yu Miri, 2022 Berkeley Japan Prize winner, on her work-in-progress play *OBON*, based on oral history interviews with approximately fifty members of the Japanese American community in Chicago. Yu Miri discusses her approach to writing the play, emphasizing how she listens to her interviewees' voices without authorial appropriation. She is joined by Dan O'Neill (EALC), Miryam Sas (Comparative Literature), and Andrew Leong (English) to explore key concepts including postmemory and tojisha. Yu Miri is author of *Tokyo Ueno Station* (winner of the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature) and *The End of August*, both translated by Morgan Giles.

Award-winning author Erika Krouse, the 2026 Joyce Carol Oates Prize recipient, reads from her work and discusses writing, storytelling, and the art of paying attention in conversation with Hannah Onstad. Krouse's most recent collection, *Save Me, Stranger*, was longlisted for The Story Prize; her memoir *Tell Me Everything* won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime and was a New York Times Editors' Choice. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Esquire, and The Kenyon Review, and her story "Eat My Moose" won the 2025 Edgar Award for Best Short Story. She teaches at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver.

Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator of the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity and granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames, discusses infinite curiosity, design, and possibility. The conversation offers fresh perspective on the Eames legacy—one of design's most enduring influences—and invites makers, thinkers, students, and anyone seeking to create with intention and joy to connect and learn together.

Explore the German-American influence on Bay Area innovation from the Gold Rush through Silicon Valley. Award-winning author Sandra Bonura discusses Claus Spreckels, the German-born 'Sugar King of California' who built an industrial empire. German journalist Arndt Peltner examines German immigrants' broader role in shaping the region. Silicon Valley entrepreneurship specialist Anne Cocquyt traces continuing connections between German innovation and contemporary Bay Area enterprise. Reuters editor Judith Langowski moderates, followed by audience Q&A.

How can decolonization take shape within a former colonial power's political framework? Audrey Célestine (NYU) examines Aimé Césaire's cultural policy as mayor of Fort-de-France through the lens of Léopold Sédar Senghor's 1976 visit to Martinique. Drawing on Césaire's work as both intellectual and elected official, Célestine explores the tensions between local, national, and diasporic political imaginaries—and the central role culture played in defining an emancipatory project pursued within, rather than outside, the French political framework.

A Medical Humanities Research Workshop exploring the intersection of medicine, culture, and human experience. Speaker Bryant Lin, MD, a primary care physician, educator, and researcher at Stanford University, discusses how the humanities inform and transform medical practice and understanding. Part of Stanford School of Medicine's ongoing Medical Humanities Research Workshop Series, supported by the Humanities Center, Division of Literatures, Cultures & Languages, and Department of Anthropology.

A delightfully eerie celebration of Edward Gorey, the iconic artist and 'Godfather of Goth,' featuring short performances, behind-the-scenes stories, film clips, and surprises hosted by author Carol Verburg. Guests are invited to wear Gorey-inspired costumes or bat attire for prizes, though dressing up is optional.

How does architecture shape society, and what can we learn from the built environment's relationship to political and cultural change? Laura Sánchez Carrasco and Íñigo Cobeta, both associate professors at Madrid's School of Architecture (ETSAM), present research on postwar North American and Spanish architecture and their transatlantic connections. Sánchez Carrasco specializes in architectural history combined with digital analysis; Cobeta's recent work focuses on public schools and the relationship between architecture, territory, and civic space. Both are part of an ongoing research project tracing connections between Spanish and American architecture from 1976–2006.

Mark Applebaum, Edith & Leland Smith Professor of Composition at Stanford University, explores what made the Beatles unique and transformative. Over seven years across thirteen albums, the band evolved dramatically and changed music for decades. Applebaum—a composer, jazz pianist, and TED talk speaker seen by over five million viewers—examines whether their impact came from innate musical ability, creative songwriting, commitment to experimentation, or sheer charm. Leave hearing the Beatles in a new light.

A celebration of *Mark of the Warrior*, the sequel to the New York Times bestseller *Breath of the Dragon*, featuring authors Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee in conversation with Andrea Stewart. The novelists discuss their collaborative fantasy epic.

Award-winning poet, translator, and physician Fady Joudah discusses and reads from Exhibit G: Poems, Essays, and Photographs of Gaza (2026), a finalist for the National Book Award. Writing from the perspective of a Palestinian American doctor witnessing Gaza's destruction from the United States, Joudah examines the paradoxes of his position—caring for the sick while complicit in their suffering, writing in English while defending a colonized people, finding beauty and survival amid devastation. The book explores how beauty persists through Palestinian resilience and the nonhuman world as refuge from human-inflicted war. Hosted by UC Santa Cruz's Center for the Middle East and North Africa with the Humanities Institute.

Author-researcher Ashia S. Ajani and community organizer Keala Uchôa discuss *Tending the Vines*, which unpacks the rhetorical and ethnobotanical lives of plants moved across the Western Hemisphere. The book examines how plants have served as metaphors for Black incursion and symbols for Black liberation, while complicating notions of "invasive" species and belonging. Ajani contextualizes plant migration through an eco-griot and abolitionist lens, while Uchôa brings her work at the intersection of abolition and environmental justice. A conversation on diasporic plant relatives and tender living amid the decline of empire.

Author Mary R. Thompson presents and reads from her work exploring the intersection of human language and natural world expression. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the reading at 6:00 p.m. at Readers Books.

Join poet and bookseller Haley Hutchinson for a reading and conversation about her debut collection *Her Womanhood of Mine*, a lyric chronicle of girlhood, embodiment, and becoming. Rich with sensory detail and emotional nuance, the poems explore domestic life, relationships, and the raw grittiness of self-discovery. Hutchinson is a graduate of Middlebury College, editor at Gal Pal Media, and bookseller at Russian Hill Bookstore.

A discussion of Mark Danner's essay collection *Crossing the Rubicon*, which examines the erosion of American democratic institutions and the rise of authoritarianism from the 2000 election through 2026. Danner, a renowned political journalist and contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, traces how the U.S. arrived at its current state of polarization, offering portraits of key figures like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld and critiquing mass media's role in politics. He is joined in conversation by Emeritus Professor Michael Pollan, followed by audience Q&A.

A screening and discussion of The Haunted Bay, an Amazon Prime documentary series exploring reported paranormal activity at Bay Area locations. Creator and producer Ying Liu discusses her investigations into historic San Francisco theaters, bars, the USS Hornet, and other sites, examining both rational explanations and unexplained occurrences while uncovering the history behind each location. Liu will take attendees behind the scenes of the documentary and share what goes into investigating a haunting, followed by audience Q&A. Part of Pub Scholar's lecture series at Bay Area bars.

A recurring philosophical salon exploring thought experiments and ethical arguments. This session focuses on objections to utilitarianism, with recommended readings on philosophical norms and counterarguments to utilitarian theory. Past discussions have ranged from personal identity and free will to animal ethics, artificial intelligence, and the nature of morality itself. Attendees engage in facilitated dialogue around philosophical questions in an intimate setting.

A lecture on how poetry teaches us to sit with life's biggest questions—love, grief, curiosity, doubt, belief, and awe. Poet and critic Dean Rader, a University of San Francisco professor and T.S. Eliot Prize winner, guides attendees through accessible 20th and 21st-century poems exploring what it means to be alive. No literary background required. Followed by Q&A.

Five published authors read from their latest work in horror, science fiction, and speculative fiction. Featured writers include Cynthia Gómez (The Nightmare Box and Other Stories), Loren Rhoads (In the Wake of the Templars, Unsafe Words), Sumiko Saulson (Happiness and Other Diseases, Black Magic Women editor), Kristina Ten (Tell Me Yours, I'll Tell You Mine), and Tamika Thompson (The Curse of Hester Gardens, 2024 Indie Book Award winner). Hosted by Telegraph Hill Arts and Literature at Telegraph Hill Books.

Parini Shroff, bestselling author of *The Bandit Queens*, discusses her new novel *Some People*, a witty and poignant story about a man on the brink of divorce forced to care for his injured future-ex-mother-in-law. Over seven days of recuperation, Nathan Whitlock navigates complex family dynamics, cultural misunderstandings, and unresolved tension with Malti Patel while her daughter is away. Shroff explores themes of love, forgiveness, and the search for understanding and acceptance amid personal upheaval.

A discussion of Rebekah Moyer's *Simple Kitchen Magic*, which offers whole-food recipes and home remedies for common ailments grounded in holistic nutrition. Moyer is a content creator and third-generation nutrition enthusiast who spent a decade pursuing self-directed study in holistic health, inspired by her family's food traditions and her kombucha-brewing mother. She shares accessible, nourishing meals using whole-food ingredients and practical remedies for everyday wellness.

The first of a four-part series of lectures on the origins of the Arts & Crafts Movement in 19th-century England, examining the philosophical and aesthetic contributions of John Ruskin and William Morris. The event explores how these influential figures shaped modern design and architecture through their critique of industrialization and promotion of craftsmanship.

Eric Beck Rubin discusses his fictional account of the final stages of pursuing the right to die. A deeply personal exploration of end-of-life autonomy and mortality through narrative.

Booker Prize-shortlisted author Andrew Miller discusses his novel *The Land in Winter*, a masterpiece set in December 1962 in the English countryside. The story follows two couples—doctor Eric and his pregnant wife Irene, and farmer Bill with his expectant wife Rita—whose quiet lives unravel when the mildest December gives way to the harshest winter in living memory, exposing secret resentments in both marriages. Miller, whose debut *Ingenious Pain* won the James Tait Black and International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, has established himself as a chronicler of the human heart across 14 acclaimed novels, including *Pure* (Costa Book Award) and *Now We Shall Be Entirely Free*. *The Land in Winter* won the Winston Graham Historical Prize and the 2025 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. In conversation with Yangsze Choo at Kepler's Books.

A monthly poetry and literary reading series curated by Sharon Coleman, featuring local and visiting writers. Hosted at Pegasus Books Downtown.

Douglas Stuart celebrates his Booker Prize-longlisted novel *John of John*, a portrait of a young artist returning to his Hebridean island home and the tensions between duty, desire, and family secrets. Stuart, author of the Booker Prize-winning *Shuggie Bain*, is in conversation with Matthew Clark Davison, co-author of *The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre* and creative writing educator at San Francisco State University.

Julie Orringer reads from and signs her new novel Luna, Phoenix, Queen, a multigenerational story spanning four decades and four thousand miles. The novel explores infidelity, artistic theft, and the power of storytelling through interwoven voices: a Midwestern couple—one a fiction writer, one a literature professor—whose marriage fractures as she secretly writes a novel and he steals and publishes it as his own after she develops early-onset Alzheimer's. Orringer, author of The Invisible Bridge and The Flight Portfolio (basis for Netflix's Transatlantic), teaches at NYU and Stanford.

Opening night celebration of Scaling Intelligence, an exhibition of 11 commissioned artworks exploring creative possibilities at the intersection of AI, machine learning, and artistic practice. Selected through a global open call, participating artists developed works with Modal cloud computing credits and support from Gray Area and Modal, investigating how different forms of intelligence might connect, interact, and sense the world. Projects range from satellite imagery and microbial visualization to neural network exploration and watershed mapping. Featured artists include Cezar Mocan, Colin O'Donnell & Justine Sun, Dela Cruz & Will Gardiner, Grayson Earle, Iana Chugunova, Ira Greenberg, Kristina Pulejkova, Miguel Novelo Cruz, Parag Mital, Rashed Haq, Sasha Sorokina, and Spencer Chang. The exhibition runs through November 1.

Ann Liang, New York Times bestselling author, reads from and discusses her lush historical fantasy *To Dream in Darkness*, set in ancient China where a Death God and a healing goddess strike a bargain with devastating cosmic consequences. The novel explores an unlikely alliance that blooms into romance while threatening to unravel the balance of the celestial realms. Event includes Q&A and signing; ticket includes admission and a copy of the book.

Angela Davis, activist, author, and cultural icon, reflects on Nina Simone's iconic song 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free' in conversation with Poulomi Saha. The event explores the intersections of music, activism, and freedom through the lens of one of the Civil Rights era's most powerful artistic statements and its enduring cultural resonance.

A flavorful exploration of Taiwan through food, examining how the island's diverse history, cultures, and development have shaped its culinary traditions and how cuisine expresses national identity and serves as a tool of cultural diplomacy. Features David Chih-Hsiang Wu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, in conversation hosted by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies at the University of San Francisco.

A discussion on manga as a form of conversation and cultural expression. Hanako Asakura from San Francisco State University explores how manga functions as a medium for dialogue and artistic communication.

A lecture examining how Belarusian, Polish, and Ukrainian scholars of the late 17th and early 18th centuries introduced classical culture into Orthodox Eastern Europe, despite initial religious skepticism toward pagan antiquity. Drawing on specific works by Simiaon Polacki, Jan Białobocki, and Teofan Prokopovych, the speaker traces how these authors navigated the tension between Orthodox tradition and classical learning, ultimately catalyzing the reception of ancient culture in Muscovy and the emergence of Neoclassicism in the Russian Empire. Part of The Other Europe Research Workshop, sponsored by the Stanford Humanities Center.

A lecture on the Sindbad and Seven Sages of Rome narrative tradition, one of the most widely transmitted premodern story cycles, told in at least 30 languages across more than 10 centuries from Persia to Iceland. The cycle centers on a medieval false rape accusation between a mute prince and his young stepmother, exploring themes of truth and justice in a royal court. Jutta Eming, professor of medieval German literature at Freie Universität Berlin, discusses why this enormously popular medieval and early modern tradition has received fragmentary scholarly attention, and presents new collaborative research and a comprehensive database of all known textual witnesses that enables renewed comparative philological, literary, and cultural analysis.

Four legal experts examine President Lincoln's extraordinary use of executive power during the Civil War and its parallels to contemporary presidential authority. Speakers include UC Berkeley Law Professors Daniel Barber (Co-Director of the Edley Center on Law & Democracy) and John Yoo (Faculty Director of the Public Law & Policy Program), alongside Steven Hayward (Pepperdine School of Public Policy) and Michael Paulsen (University of St. Thomas School of Law).

A lunchtime conversation with Professor Anna Spain Bradley, Distinguished MacArthur Foundation Chair in International Justice and Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, discussing her forthcoming book *Global Racism: A Challenge for the World* (Oxford University Press, October 2026). Bradley examines racism as a global phenomenon operating across continents and centuries, arguing it poses a serious threat to humanity and human rights. She draws on two decades of legal scholarship on peace, dignity, and human rights worldwide. Executive Director Savala Nolan moderates. Attendees enter a raffle for a signed copy.

A century after the University of California erroneously declared the Ohlone people extinct in 1925—leading to the loss of land rights for the Verona Band of Alameda County—UC Berkeley's 'ottoy Initiative (an Ohlone philosophy and practice of repair) is charting a new path forward. Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, founders of the 'ottoy Initiative, discuss this historic institutional reckoning and how the campus is uplifting Ohlone culture and knowledge. First in a series on contemporary and historical issues impacting East Bay Ohlone communities.

How can data visualization deepen scientific investigation and communication? Eric Rodenbeck, founder of Stamen Design, discusses collaborations with UCSF scientists and researchers, including the Atlas of Emotions with Paul Ekman and the Dalai Lama, the UCSF Health Atlas with Dr. Debby Oh, and Brain Cartography with Dr. Edward Chang. He explores how maps, interfaces, and visual systems can reveal complex data, expose unexpected relationships, generate new questions, and help researchers and broader audiences understand science differently.

Mona Fawaz, professor of urban studies and planning at the American University of Beirut and co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab, interrogates how participatory planning practices navigate fractured publics and rising populist politics. Drawing on a case study of co-designing public space in Beirut following the 2020 Port explosion, Fawaz examines tensions between expert knowledge, political conflict, and representation in a post-truth environment. She reflects on how planning theory's consensus-driven model breaks down when the state's legitimacy erodes and epistemic divisions deepen, and proposes pathways for reintegrating power and reimagining co-production within increasingly polarized cities. Part of UC Berkeley's Department of City & Regional Planning fall lecture series.

An open-class lecture featuring Yu Miri, the internationally acclaimed novelist and 2020 National Book Award winner, discussing her novel *Joban Line Yonomori Station*. The work traces a protagonist raised on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea who now works as a decontamination laborer in Fukushima, exploring themes of landscape, memory, and material traces in post-disaster Japan. Yu Miri will read passages from the novel, then discuss it in conversation with Junko Habu, the course instructor at UC Berkeley, followed by an audience Q&A.

A panel discussion on creating meaning and purpose in retirement, featuring three emeritus faculty members: Pedro Hernandez Ramos (Education), Nancy Unger (History), and Cynthia Mertens (Law). The panelists explore how retired scholars and professionals can build fulfilling lives beyond their careers.

A pop-up exhibition and lecture on Lauren Kroiz's new book *Living Power: Women's Suffrage and Modern American Art* (University of California Press, 2026). Drawing on materials ranging from book covers to photographs in the California wilderness, Kroiz traces a visual history of feminist art and inclusive political citizenship, expanding our understanding of how women's suffrage shaped modern American visual culture. The exhibition runs 4:00–5:00 p.m., with the lecture beginning at 5:30 p.m. Kroiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art at UC Berkeley.

In late Ming and early Qing China, a major Buddhist revival coincided with growing fascination for theater. Mengxiao Wang explores how performance became a vehicle for Buddhist philosophy and enlightenment, examining the intersection of religious practice and dramatic art in early modern China. Wang is a scholar of Chinese intellectual and cultural history with expertise in Buddhism, literature, and theater.

A conversation on the history of data and algorithms, tracing how data has been used as a tool and weapon—from the US Census and Victorian eugenics through facial recognition and AI systems today. Matthew L. Jones, Smith Family Professor of History at Princeton, discusses his book *How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms* (cowritten with Chris Wiggins), examining how technical capabilities shaped power relations among states, corporations, and people. Tom Mullaney, Stanford University, offers comments.

Janet Poole of the University of Toronto examines the life and work of modernist writer O Changhwan (also Ch'oe Myŏngik), a Pyongyang-based author whose fiction documented urban life and decolonization hopes in early 20th-century Korea. Poole, a specialist in Korean literary modernism and translator of mid-century Korean writers, contextualizes O's work within her broader research on Korean modernist responses to colonialism and the political division of Korea after 1945.