Literature

exhibit of book

Events at Berkeley

In new African lit exhibit, stories challenge and enchant

On display in UC Berkeley's Doe Library, the exhibit showcases contemporary writing from across the African continent and diaspora.

A collage of 15 book covers, including The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston (on a burgundy background with a large face), A Gesture Life (black-and-white cover), Tripmaster Monkey by Maxine Hong Kingston (image of a bridge), Comfort Woman (a woman's face), Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (dragons in a style associate with Asian scroll art), Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee (on a blue background), east goes west (a globe on top of a cubist body, accompanies by Chinese characters), Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee (a back-and-white image of an Asian man's face with a childhood photo superimposed), Fifth Chinese Daughter (a fairytale draying on top of a red background), China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston (red text and a dragon), America is in the Heart, No-No Boy (a body, fists covering his face, behind two strands of crossed red barbed wire, Dictee (a black-and-white landscape image), Obasan by Joy Kogawa (an Asian girl with a bowl cut looking through the window), and Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn (a romaneqseque sculpture of a woman)

Arts & culture

What counts as ‘Asian American literature,’ anyway?

Arts & culture

‘Biographers heaven’: Ron Chernow spotlights Mark Twain Papers & Project amid funding crisis

Daniel Handler and Chanan Tigay talk on stage at an event for the Magnes' inaugural Jewish Arts & Bookfest

Arts & culture

Berkeley Talks: Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) on reading the authors you want to write like

Two images side by side: on the left, two knights fight each other on horseback; on the right, the knight ask a woman for forgiveness after he killed her husband

Why did medieval readers kiss, smudge and deface their books?

An image of the Pulitzer Prize medal shows the front and the back. The medal is gold, with the image of Ben Franklin on one side and on the back is someone operating a printing press.

Six UC Berkeley alumni named 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners

about a dozen covers of books in the 2025 summer reading list

This year’s UC Berkeley summer reading list theme? Generosity

two images side by side: on the left, the cover of the book Open Socrates and on the right, Judith Butler and Agnes Callard in a conversation

Berkeley Talks: The case for a philosophical life, with Agnes Callard and Judith Butler

Fiona McFarlane holds an award for The Story Prize and smiles

English Professor Fiona McFarlane’s ‘Highway Thirteen’ wins The Story Prize

Fiona McFarlane juxtaposed next to the cover of her book Highway 13

In 12 short stories, ‘Highway Thirteen’ traces the ripple effects of one man’s violence

Ocean Vuong and Cathy Park Hong

Berkeley Talks: Poet Ocean Vuong on disobedience and the power of language

Two young girls sit closely together in this scene from the HBO series

No. 1 book of the century, ‘My Brilliant Friend’, is subject of UC Berkeley research, courses

The white cover of an artist book with a sepia-toned drawing of an eye next to a row of several vials labeled things like,

Artists’ books shine in new exhibit at the UC Berkeley Library

Close up of Alisha Gaines

Berkeley Talks: Reconsidering Black America’s relationship to the plantation

Jeff MacKie-Mason, dressed in all black, sits on a couch and smiles for a portrait

Jeff MacKie-Mason has seen the future of libraries

Off-script at Berkeley: How one graduate made a home on campus apart from her twin