One of the most important composers in jazz history, Charles Mingus documented his lively impressions of Tijuana in "Tijuana Moods," a rarely performed suite. Join grammy-winning jazz author Ashley Kahn; eminent alto saxophonist Charles McPherson, a longstanding member of Charles Mingus' band; Anthony Davis, UC San Diego professor of music and noted composer, pianist and improviser; and Steven Schick, UC San Diego professor of music, percussionist, and conductor, for an exploration of the legacy of African-American composer Charles Mingus and his historic Tijuana Moods album. Recorded on 01/20/2018.

Why are negative emotions out of control? How do we begin to tame them? UC Berkeley Professor Charis Thompson focuses on how we understand and deal with negative emotions in this turbulent moment, when new technologies (e.g. reproductive technology, digital media, robotics, AI) can contribute to the shared environment of polarization. Recorded on 03/13/2018.

Eighteen years ago, Israeli author Ruby Namdar arrived in New York, not knowing that he had just taken the first step of an incredible literary, cultural and personal journey. He discusses the novel The Ruined House, winner of the 2014 Sapir Prize, Israel's most prestigious literary award, which was an artistic response to Namdar's wonderful experience of discovering America, American Jewry, and American Jewish literature. Recorded on 05/07/2018.

How it is possible for imagination to have practical social effects? The great potential size of human societies, in contrast to those of other primates, is due to a kind of shared imagination of which kinship and religion are important examples, says Maurice Bloch, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics. Bloch says that the shared imaginary emerges in normal life at certain moments yet is still governed by the potential of imagination. The lecture is illustrated by Bloch's experience of an isolated village in Madagascar. Recorded on 06/04/2018.

A Q&A session with Co-Directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen of the documentary RGB (2018). Cohen and West discuss their work researching and producing RBG, which profiles the career of Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The session, moderated by UCSB English Professor Jeannine DeLombard, covers the production and reception of the film, its significance in the current political climate, and Ginsburgs Legacy as a Justice. Betsy West is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker, journalist, and educator, known for her work on Nightline, 60 Minutes, and 48 Hours. She is a professor of journalism at Columbia University. Julie Cohen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer. She has also worked as a producer for NBC News and is Adjunct Professor of Journalism at Columbia University. Recorded on 11/05/2018.

Science and humanities professor Colin Milburn (UC Davis) and graduate student Wesley Jacks (UC Santa Barbara) explore the legacy of James Whale's iconic Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Their talk touches on key similarities and differences between Bride, Whale's earlier Frankenstein (1931) film, and the original Mary Shelley novel. In addition to exploring the narrative and formal components of each, Milburn and Jacks draw out the ethical conflicts that span and separate each text. Their discussion touches on the legacy of the film within the sci-fi genre, its still-compelling queer components, and the film's position within the sub-genre of gothic horror. Recorded on 10/18/2018.