Jason Magabo Perez, San Diego's Poet Laureate, engages with UC San Diego's Erik Mitchell in a revealing conversation about his poetic journey and its impact on community and self-awareness. Perez shares readings from his work, which weaves together narratives of grief, identity, and resilience. His ability to articulate complex emotions and historical contexts through poetry provides a window into the experiences of Filipino-American communities and broader societal issues. He also discusses his initiatives as Poet Laureate, emphasizing his commitment to making poetry accessible and relevant to a wide audience. His projects aim to foster a vibrant literary culture in San Diego, highlighting the power of poetry to build solidarity, empower youth, and give voice to marginalized communities. Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39322]

As part of the UC San Diego Libarary Author Talk Series, class of '76 alumnus and bestselling author Rex Pickett talks about his most recent novel, “The Archivist,” a murder mystery that takes a deep dive into the archiving world set in a fictional Geisel Library. Joining Pickett in the discussion are Brian Schottlaender, UCSD University Librarian Emeritus, Caryn Radick, Digital Archivist, Rutgers University, and UCSD's University Librarian Erik Mitchell. Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 38519]

It has been called many things—a spaceship, a large mushroom, an enormous concrete and glass jewel held aloft by concrete fingers … the list goes on. UC San Diego’s flagship building, Geisel Library, fascinates and captures the imaginations of all who encounter it. At this virtual event, a panel of experts peel back the layers of its history and explore the basic architectural principles that make this icon an architectural masterpiece. Lynda Corey Claassen, director of Special Collections & Archives at the UC San Diego Library, moderate the discussion with Caroline Acheatel, Teddy Cruz and Kevin deFreitas. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36219]

Jeremy Prestholdt examines how Che Guevara, Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur, and Osama bin Laden are major "dissenters" who have represented challenges to the world order. Prestholdt explores the appeal of these four figures over five decades, in part revealing two aspects of an increasingly interconnected world: the tension between shared global symbols and their local interpretations, and the intersection of political vision and consumerism. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 35243]

Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, created paintings and sketches for his own enjoyment. Some of these pieces were on loan from the Geisel estate and exhibited at the UC San Diego Library for the 16th annual Dinner in the Library gala. Join a panel of distinguished speakers as they explore broad themes woven throughout Geisel’s works and its literary and artistic impact. Panelists Mary Beebe, Stuart Collection, Seth Lerer, Professor of Literature, and Rob Sidner, Mingei International Museum, each bring a unique perspective. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 35062]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 34410]

Constructed languages, or conlangs, are well-known in science fiction and fantasy literature as ways of creating an immersive world-building experience. Join us in learning how linguists design the sound systems and grammars to behind some of our favorite conlangs.  With Grant Goodall (Professor and Language Program Director, UC San Diego Linguistics), David J. Peterson (Creator of Dothraki, Game of Thrones), and Paul Frommer (Creator of Na’vi, Avatar). Moderated by Tamara Rhodes (Linguistics Subject Librarian, UC San Diego Library). Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34407]

What does it means to be literate in the age of Google?  At a time when you can search billions of texts in milliseconds, scan over trillions of online images, and look deeply into planet-wide maps, we need to rethink what it means to be literate, and to be a learner. Dan Russell, the Űber Tech Lead for Search Quality and User Happiness at Google, reviews what literacy means today and shows how some very surprising and unexpected skills will turn out to be critical in the years ahead. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 34063]

San Diego-raised novelist and UC San Diego alumnus, Luis Alberto Urrea ‘77 is the featured speaker at the UC San Diego Library annual gala. Urrea, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist, has written about the border and has knitted together stories in a way that makes them familiar and impactful for everyone. Series: "Writers" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 33668]

UC San Diego's Geisel Library hosts an annual Paper Theater Festival, celebrating an art form with roots in Victorian Era Europe. Paper theaters (also known as toy theaters) were used to promote productions. They were printed on paperboard sheets and sold as kits at the concession stand of an opera house, playhouse, or vaudeville theater. The kits were then assembled at home and plays performed for family members and guests, sometimes with live musical accompaniment. The theaters gradually declined in popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but have enjoyed a resurgence in interest in recent years among many puppeteers, filmmakers, theater historians, and hobbyists. Presently there are numerous international paper theater festivals throughout the Americas and Europe, as well as several museums. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 33264]

Brian Nosek, co-founder and executive director of the Center for Open Science, outlines the most urgent challenges in achieving a more open science future and how the scholarly communication community can change practices to validate and recognize open research. Nosek, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, is presented by the UC San Diego Library. Series: "Library Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 33455]

UC San Diego Professor of Pediatrics and Computer Science & Engineering Rob Knight illustrates the enormous presence of the microbiome in humans. Knight is presented by the Library Channel at UC San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 33434]

This evening is inspired by the short postcard stories that magazine editor George Hay encouraged in the 1970’s. He dared such authors as Arthur C. Clarke to send sci-fi stories that easily fit onto a postcard. In that spirit, Geisel Library invited writers to submit fantasy or science fiction pieces of no more than 250 words, to be read aloud. Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33454]

In "Confronting Political Intimidation and Public Bullying: A Citizen's Handbook for the Trump Era and Beyond," author and Literature professor emeritus Roddey Reid traces the origins of the current toxic environment back some 30 years to a culture of abuse in the workplace, media and the political arena. In conversation with sociologist Akos Rona-Tas, Reid reviews the strategies and dynamics of contemporary bullying: how it works, the danger it causes, and the lessons to be learned in pursuit of a more civil public life. Reid is presented by the Division of Social Sciences, the Division of Arts and Humanities along with the Program in Jewish Studies and the Department of Literature at UC San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 33230]

In discussing his book, “Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs For Your Child's Developing Immune System,” author and UC San Diego Professor of Pediatrics and Computer Science & Engineering Rob Knight explains how the microbiome works and offers guidance for parents on boosting their children’s health. Knight is presented by the Library Channel at UC San Diego. Series: "Library Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 32845]

"Short Tales from the Mothership" celebrates an elegant genre by presenting condensed stories from fellow futurists, time-travelers, inventors, artists, and writers. This evening is inspired by the short postcard stories that magazine editor George Hay encouraged in the 1970’s. He dared such authors as Arthur C. Clarke to send sci-fi stories that easily fit onto a postcard. In that spirit, Geisel Library invited writers to submit fantasy or science fiction pieces of no more than 250 words, to be read aloud. Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Show ID: 32844]

Celebrated author, literature champion, and bookstore owner Ann Patchett electrifies the audience as she describes her evolving relationships with various books, ranging from classics by Leo Tolstoy and John Updike to more contemporary works by Min Jin Lee (“Pachinko”), Matthew Desmond (“Evicted”) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (”Between the World and Me”), among others. Patchett reads both for pleasure and for business, as the co-owner and buyer for Parnassus Books in Nashville. Why would a best-selling author bother with opening a book store in 2011, when all of the others in her hometown had closed? Because, she says, she couldn’t bear to live in a city without one so she and a partner opened their own! And, as she tells here, Parnassus Books has been a huge success. Patchett is the featured speaker of the 2017 Dinner in the Library event at UC San Diego.   Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Show ID: 32700]

In his book, Spitting in the Soup: Inside the Dirty Game of Doping in Sports, UC San Diego alumnus and sports journalist Mark Johnson traces the doping culture in professional sports, from the early days when pills meant progress, to the current day, when athletes are vilified for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. In his book, Johnson, who has covered cycling as a writer and photographer since the 1980s, explores the complex relationships that underlie elite sports culture. Series: "Writers" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 31408]

Climate scientist Richard Somerville completes the “Climate Change at the Crossroads” series presented by the UC San Diego Library with a talk recounting his experiences at the Paris COP 21 conference and his ongoing efforts to widen public understanding of the catastrophic impacts of climate change. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 30489]

Renowned climatologist V. Ramanathan from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography makes a moral argument for mitigating climate change, arguing that it is caused by a fraction of the world’s population but is affecting everyone on this planet. He urges scientists and policy makers to reach out to religious leaders, as he has done with the Pope and the Dalai Lama, and ask them to join together in pursuing solutions for the common good. Series: "Library Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 30488]