Arts & Culture

Ariana Grande delivers an unapologetic version of herself On Aug. 18, Ariana Grande released her fourth studio album, “Sweetener.” While the album was commercially and critically successful, there was a performative quality to the songs and lyrics that felt slightly disingenuous. The majority of the songs felt over produced and seemed to lack a raw […]

The importance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show People often have distinctive and even nostalgic memories of the first time they saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 cult classic where newly-engaged and straightedge couple Brad and Janet stumble upon the mansion of cross-dressing and highly sexually active Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by Tim Curry. […]

The bond between poetry and politics has not died — only intensified In recent years, the sale of poetry books has experienced a surge from young buyers looking to make sense of the world. In 2018, UK book sales monitor Nielsen Bookscan showed that poetry sales grew by over 12 percent last year, equating to […]

Poetry performance provides space for cultural understanding On Feb. 21, the International House hosted a reading of “Dreaming America: Voices of Undocumented Youth in Maximum-Security Detention.” The 2015 book features poetry written by undocumented, unaccompanied children detained at the Shenandoah Valley Youth Center in Virginia, one of two maximum-security detention centers that have a contract […]

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for television, movies, novels, music Television: Forever This Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard creation stars the incredible Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen and follows June and Oscar — a plain, seemingly content married couple who navigate the afterlife together. What the New Yorker calls a “big hearted satire,” this show […]

Books of the past compared to college reading Looking back at books from our past, the novels that stand out are ones that were taught in high school classrooms, were trending with our peers, or were part of a larger phenomenon. College opens up a world of knowledge and education for many to explore their […]

Are eyeshadow palettes equal to paint palettes? With the growing popularity of Instagram and YouTube, people have found new ways to showcase their art. Art on social media, however, isn’t limited to drawings or paintings. People are posting their makeup routines online, and these accounts have grown to be considered a real business. So that […]

Beading Circles provide community engagement with Native American culture Every week, the Native American Academic Student Success Center hosts Beading Circles where students can learn about Native American culture by doing beadwork. The events take place in the University House, and anyone is welcome to participate. “A beading circle is where students come and they […]

New literary magazine accepting submissions Student-led publishing company Mechanisms Press has created a new literary magazine at UC Davis titled “Open Ceilings,” which will publish student work, from creative writing to art and photography. The company was founded in the fall of 2018, when a group of students came together to create an outlet for […]

Greenfield analyzes the new American Dream Documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield spent her career attempting to understand America’s obsession with wealth and status. I was first introduced to Greenfield through her 2012 documentary “Queen of Versailles,” which followed the Siegel timeshare tycoon family attempting to build the largest home in America. The film turns into a […]

Writer gives talk as part of “Xixanx Futurity” exhibit Esteemed and internationally-recognized poet, feminist, essayist and playwright Cherríe Moraga spoke at the Manetti Shrem museum as part of the “Xixanx Futurity” exhibit on Feb. 14. Students, faculty and community members were present for the talk titled “Cherríe Moraga in Conversation,” a conversation between Moraga and […]

Do streaming services fall short of movie theaters? It’s Friday evening, and movie posters shine brightly  — almost saying, “Watch me!” as moviegoers wait in line for their tickets. The familiar pore-clogging scent of buttered popcorn can’t be masked by even the strongest perfume but the popcorn itself pairs well with a refreshing Coca-Cola. After taking […]