Books & Culture

Interested in Finding Your Next (Elevated) Beach Read?

A collection of recent books by UC San Diego faculty and alumni.

A short pile of books next to a partially open book.

Associate Professor of Literature Brandon Som Among 100th Class of Guggenheim Fellows

Associate Professor of Literature Som is among 198 distinguished scholars chosen among nearly 3,500 applicants to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship. The grant is based on both prior career achievement—which for Som includes a 2024 Pulitzer Prize in poetry—as well as exceptional promise.

Mass Education Was Designed to Quash Critical Thinking

In her book "Raised to Obey: The Rise and Spread of Mass Education," political scientist Agustina Paglayan argues that schools around the world are failing to cultivate critical thinking skills in students — and that these institutions are actually designed to promote conformity.

A solitary chair sits illuminated in lonely classroom in front of old-style chalkboard

Exploring Identity, Belonging and Resilience with UC San Diego’s Common Read

UC San Diego welcomed author, university professor and cultural critic Roxane Gay to Epstein Family Amphitheater on Nov. 4, 2024, for an engaging conversation on identity, belonging and resilience.

Roxane Gay and Becky R. Petitt sit on chairs across from each other on a stage

The Curious Allure of Gothic Gore and Vampire Lore

Lillian Lu, an assistant professor of literature in the School of Arts and Humanities, has always been drawn to gothic stories. She is currently writing a conference paper on the 2022 television adaptation of Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire,” as well as taking a transhistorical look at how contemporary authors of the Asian diaspora are adapting novels from the 18th century.