The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

By ELIZABETH BUNT — arts@theaggie.org 

Book: “The Passion” by Jeanette Winterson (1987)

I first came across Jeanette Winterson’s work in a literature class here at UC Davis. Her debut novel, “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit,” was assigned as an example of postmodernist, feminist innovation in prose. Since that class, I have read three other Winterson novels with “The Passion” being the most recent. “The Passion” is set in Napoleon’s Europe in the early 1800s and follows a young French soldier, Henri, as he follows conflict into Russia. The second plotline traces the life of Villanelle, a young Venetian woman with webbed toes, who is running from a violent ex-husband. Though nominally historic, Winterson uses considerable creative license. Like much of her work, “The Passion” draws from magical realism and surrealism which blends seamlessly with the gritty details of the Napoleonic wars. At the heart of the novel is the contrast between Henri and Villanelle’s differing definitions of passion and their interplay of gender and sexuality. 

Song: “Junk Food Chimney” by Ezra Bell (2013)

Ezra Bell is an indie band that was founded in 2013 and slowly picked up popularity until COVID-19 ended touring. Since then, Ezra Bell rarely performs, preferring to record and self-release independent music. This particular song is from the band’s very first EP entitled “Don’t All Look Up At Once.” “Junk Food Chimney” itself is only one minute and eight seconds long, so it’s over just as you really begin to love it. The song describes the experience of reconnecting with an old lover while knowing it won’t last. It’s simple and beautiful and lead singer Benjamin Wuamatt’s unique voice ties the whole song together. 

Movie: “Fantastic Mr. Fox” dir. by Wes Anderson (2009)

This movie is one of my all-time favorites. I can and will rewatch it at the slightest provocation. It’s based off of the Roald Dahl novella and done in a claymation style. The cast is stacked with George Clooney and Meryl Streep voicing the lead roles. The soundtrack is bouncy and folksy and comforting in a silly, familiar way. The plot follows Mr. Fox as he breaks a promise to his wife and begins stealing birds from neighbors Boggis, Bunce and Bean, endangering his family and friends. The foxes are driven underground, and Mr. Fox must use his cunning to save them all. I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It may seem like a children’s movie from description alone, but there is so much more to this film. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a masterful adaptation of page to screen.  

Album: “Songs of Leonard Cohen” by Leonard Cohen (1967)

Every fall, I find myself gravitating back to Leonard Cohen. In my opinion, he may be the most perfect songwriter/artist who has ever lived. His lyrics are incredibly written, his voice is unconventional and there’s enough variation in sound across his dozens of albums that it’s impossible to get tired of hearing him. “Songs of Leonard Cohen” was both Cohen’s first album and first foray into writing music. The 10 song album contains some of his most well-known hits like “Suzanne,” “So Long, Marianne” and “One of Us Cannot be Wrong.” The style of these songs is sparse and pared down, more like spoken word poetry than music in some places. Cohen’s personality shines through in these early bits of writing: his sincerity, his insecurities and his religion — they all come to light in the meandering tunes of this first album. 

Written by Elizabeth Bunt — arts@theaggie.org 

‘We Live in Time’ stars Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield as they navigate illness, love and the uncertainty of the future

By AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS — arts@theaggie.org 

With only six months to live, the film “We Live in Time” follows Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) as they navigate the last months of Almut’s life. With a mix of jump cuts from past to present, the film alternates from showing a tumultuous but loving relationship between the two while cutting to scenes of their present life as Almut tries to achieve her dreams in a short period of time.

The film opens with a flashback sequence where Almut stops to smell the flowers on a run before picking some to use in a recipe. The quaint and dimly lit sequence is almost immediately interrupted, as if Tobias had woken up from a dream, to Almut pregnant and in pain. The audience is then taken through a jump in time again to the present day as Almut begins to have unexplainable pain during her work as a chef.

Subsequently, the film cuts to Almut’s diagnosis. Up until that point, this film — that seemed like any other romance film — takes a heavy turn as it is revealed that Almut’s stage three ovarian cancer has returned. Following the diagnosis, Almut and Tobias share an intimate scene as they discuss the future ahead. 

Lighting, a major storyteller in the film, plays a role in almost every intimate scene. Particularly in the scene where they discuss Almut’s life plan following her diagnosis, the outside lighting dims and only a parking structure light illuminates the scene. Almut expresses her desire to live life to the fullest in six months as opposed to going through chemotherapy again with the possibility of it not working. 

Following the conversation, the film flashes back to tell the story of how Almut and Tobias met. While in the middle of a divorce, Tobias gets hit by a car on the way back to his hotel by Almut. Waking up in the hospital, they soon have a blossoming relationship as they go back and forth from different views on children, marriage and goals — but ultimately they always find their way back to their love. With dimly lit intimate scenes, brightly colored moments abundantly filled with love and dark scenes of defeat, the film jumps from major life events as it brings viewers to the present day.

In the final act of the film, the film stays in the present as Almut grapples with the uncertainty of her life as she chooses to compete in the cooking competition against Tobias’ wishes to leave a legacy for herself. But after finishing the competition, Almut walks out with Tobias and their child as they embark on the unclear road ahead. Instead of giving up on her dreams, Almut took charge and achieved what she wanted to. And with nothing left but time to spend with her loved ones, the three enjoy ice skating, which was a previous passion of Almut’s. 

The film encapsulates how quickly life can pass you by. Though Almut’s and Tobias’ relationship has its ups and downs, there is no denying the love they have for each other. While their chemistry is understated amongst other romance films, the focus of the film isn’t their romance but rather the respect and unselfish love the two have for each other. And while the film jumps from scene to scene, it is not quick or displaced; it’s little moments of life that are cherished between the two. Hold your loved ones close, and grab tissues if you decide to watch “We Live in Time” in a theater near you. 

Written by Aaliyah Español-Rivas —-arts@theaggie.org 

Ethel Cain’s upcoming album “Perverts” demands unabashed sincerity from its listeners 

By JULIE HUANG – arts@theaggie.org

Within the current landscape of short-form entertainment and social media, many artists release their works with the anticipation — or perhaps even the expectation — that their creations will inspire online trends, internet inside jokes and general social media buzz. In sharp contrast to the self-aware, ironic attitude that seems to reign over the state of art today, Ethel Cain’s upcoming album, “Perverts,” aims to offer timelessness and unapologetic passion — but the full potency of Cain’s work can only be achieved if people are willing to listen.

Cain has established a well-deserved reputation of handling heavy, raw and sensitive themes throughout her discography, which features concepts of intergenerational trauma, religious trauma, domestic abuse and sexual abuse. Her debut studio album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” is a concept album revolving around the tragic life of the character “Ethel Cain” (a separate entity from the artist, who shares the name as her stage name) as she faces domestic abuse at the hands of family and lovers, kidnapping, drugging, prostitution, rape, murder and eventual cannibalization by her murderer. 

The horrifying nature and heaviness of these topics necessitate a level of respect and willingness to sit with feelings of disgust and discomfort when interacting with Cain’s music. Obviously, she does not shy away from the grotesque, the macabre and the darkest aspects of humanity — and neither does she attempt to sugarcoat or lighten the gravity of these themes through humor or irony. 

Rather than trying to make her work lighter or more palatable to audiences in any way, Cain dives headfirst into unpacking the extent of her character’s circumstances and how she reacts to them, sonically and lyrically forcing listeners to face the tragedy and horror but also humanity present in her songs. Cain’s work may sometimes be viewed as hard to digest, but it is raw and it is passionate, never minimizing or downplaying topics that are hard to discuss, and instead seeing them through genuine eyes and facing them with solemn acceptance. 

Although Cain has stated that her sophomore album “Perverts” will not follow fictional Ethel Cain’s story, it seems to promise similar themes as the concepts featured in “Preacher’s Daughter,” especially judging by the lyrics of its lead single “Punish.” However, instead of anticipating its content, which is sure to be thought-provoking and genuine, some fans have chosen to focus on the name of the album, deeming it strange and unsettling due to its connotations as a pejorative term used to describe people whose sexual behavior or preferences are thought of as unnatural or unacceptable. Jokes have been made about how merchandise for this upcoming album cannot be shown in public due to its strange associations and potential judgment from others. 

Cain has explained that the album name “Perverts” is meant to refer to the alteration of something from its original course, changing what was intended into something else, something distorted. Ironically, in the wake of fan reception to that meaningful name, it has become clear that the pervasive attitudes and desensitizing qualities of digital culture has had this very effect on how artistic work is viewed and discussed. Creators like Cain feel the fatigue of fighting to protect the authenticity and genuine thought put into their creations when that passion becomes the punchline of a short-lived TikTok joke.

Rather than acknowledging and respecting the fact that topics such as death and sexual abuse must be processed with time and discussed with care, online culture offers fast-paced irony and overused joke formats that allow people to minimize topics that are inherently complex and sensitive for many. Furthermore, the phenomenon of dismissing heavy topics with humorous treatment extends beyond the artistic world and into reactions towards real-world news and events. In the words of Cain herself, “We are in an irony epidemic. There is such a loss of sincerity and everything has to be a joke at all times.” 

This dismissive attitude may sometimes feel comforting or simply funny, but when it’s applied to subject matter that involves the genuine emotions and pain of human beings, it can become a callous rejection of those emotions and the chance to connect with the people feeling them. When people embrace an ironic attitude and the perspective that nothing matters enough to take seriously, they are also embracing ignorance and carelessness towards creators who seek to represent those topics as well as the people whose lives are touched by them. In a social landscape where irony reigns supreme, who will receive raw passion and genuine care with an equal amount of sincerity? 

Of course, although it has reached a worrying point of prevalence, irony has not entirely subjugated sincerity. Many remain receptive or outright appreciative of creative works that are unashamed of delving into serious topics, demonstrated by those who eagerly anticipate the release of “Perverts” in January. In order to maintain the output of such works, there should always be those who defend the value of a sincere attitude and willingness to engage with topics and themes that may cause them to feel unsettled or uncomfortable. In essence, safeguarding the value of sincerity also safeguards the deeper ways in which people can connect to media, art and other human beings. 

Written by: Julie Huang — arts@theaggie.org 

The Stockton University professor discussed division within the academic field and the influence of The Crusades on modern-day settler colonialism 

By SAVANNAH ANNO — arts@theaggie.org

On Nov. 1, the UC Davis Department of English hosted the first installment of its annual University English Department Speaker Series, welcoming Professor of Literature Adam Miyashiro from Stockton University in New Jersey. 

With published works focusing on race, masculinity and biopolitics within the context of medieval studies, Miyashiro has spent much of his academic career bringing new perspectives to an academic field he describes as mostly Conservative. 

“It’s a field that picks up on trends later than all others,” Miyashiro said. “When I started to work on race in the early 2000s, it was generally not considered to be a topic for study in the pre-modern period. We were constantly getting blocked by our field from talking about not only how race was constructed in the medieval period but also how medieval studies structures contemporary problems within race and settler colonialism.” 

Beginning his presentation titled “From Iona to Al-Quds: How Medieval Studies Intersects with Palestine,” Miyashiro dove into a discussion of Palestinian history, its erasure within the academic field and how The Crusades are appropriated in modern-day militaries. 

Miyashiro said Palestine has a bigger presence in the pre-modern world than most people may think. 

“In contrast to many contemporary assertions, mainly by politicians, media figures and online commentators, Arab-Palestinian identity was already well known throughout the Muslim world in the medieval period,” Miyashiro said. 

Miyashiro also said that while medievalists have largely avoided the role of Palestine in medieval literary and historical texts, the word “Palestine” has actually been used to identify both people and place for over 2,000 years, most likely originating from an ancient Egyptian word meaning “sea people.” 

“Palestinian identity was quite common throughout Europe and the Arab world in this early period all the way up to what we know as The Crusades, a historic series of European military incursions in the Eastern Mediterranean which brought Palestine further into the European imaginary as a site of colonial aspirations,” Miyashiro said. 

Miyashiro then went into depth on The Crusades (1095-1270) and their modern day representations in military, Zionist and alt-right ideologies, defining this influence as “Crusades appropriation.” The Crusades were organized by European Christians in an attempt to, in their perspective, liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control through necessary violence. 

Romanticized in the modern-day, Miyashiro reflected on the ways current colonial powers view themselves in relation to Crusaders in order to justify acts of violence, particularly within the ongoing occupation of Palestine. 

“Crusades appropriation is a major component in how Zionism gets put into medieval spaces and how Crusade historians themselves have enabled the erasure of Palestinian identity,” Miyashiro said. “The appropriation intersects with settler colonial states to produce an erasure of colonial victims, notably Palestinians and other Muslims, who suffer at the hands of Western military regimes.” 

Miyashiro presented multiple examples of this appropriation, which typically occurs through images and language that we may not notice being used on a regular basis within the digital landscape or by political figures at first. 

Notable examples included a popular pro-Israel, alt-right meme that circulated in the late 2010s of a Crusader knight saying, “We will take Jerusalem.” This was in reference to George W. Bush referring to the U.S. invasion of Iraq as a crusade. The U.S. even has a Hawaii military base with an official sign of a large image of a Crusader knight. Miyashiro explains that these images, especially within the context of the U.S. government, assert a dominant Christian perspective and perpetuate Islamophobia.  

“Medieval studies definitely has a deep complicity in a lot of this, centering on Christian European identity in this attempt to exceptionalize Europe and the European past at the expense of others,” Miyashiro said. “When I gave another version of this talk in Arizona, a Crusade historian stopped taking notes the moment I said the word ‘Palestine.’ He turned to my colleague and said, ‘Oh, this is about Palestine?’ and put down his pen.” 

Miyashiro also recounted the impact of Richard Landes, another medieval historian and an ex-professor at Boston University. Landes created the derogatory term “Pallywood” during the second Palestinian intifada in the early 2000s in an attempt to “debunk” photo and video evidence of Palestinian civilians being killed as staged content to gain international sympathy. The impact of the term is still being felt today, with Rolling Stone finding that “Pallywood” was mentioned over 146,000 times across social media platforms between Oct. 7 and Oct. 27 of 2023. 

Finishing his lecture with a short Q&A period, Miyashiro got to the heart of why he believes the field of medieval studies consists of scholars traditionally complicit in instances of Islamophobia and colonialism. 

“It’s whiteness,” Miyashiro said. “It’s an overwhelmingly white field. Medieval studies used to pride itself on having this really tight-knit community, but that community was all white people.”

Today, Miyashiro and his colleagues are currently working to build a more inclusive field of medieval studies. A founding member of the Medievalists of Color Collective and having recently completed a Mellon-funded project to provide free resources for teaching race in pre-modern classrooms, Miyashiro is ensuring the outward growth of the program and the normalization of discussions like the one he provided to UC Davis students on Nov. 1. 

Written by: Savannah Anno — arts@theaggie.org