California Magazine Archive

Recent Works by Berkeley Authors and Artists

By Editorial Staff

Editors’ picks for books, documentaries, and exhibits to check this month

Superman stands in the Fortress of Solitude.

_{David Corenswet as Superman in DC Studios. Courtesy of Warner Bros © Warner Bros.}

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a … Conlang?

By Alexander Rony

David J. Peterson created languages for Superman, Dune, and Game of Thrones. It all started with courses at Berkeley.

A young white toddler hides behind her sign showing an image of a black fist that symbolizes Black Lives Matter along with the words

_{Edward Nachtrieb/Alamy}

Please Don’t Call Me a Liberal

By Leah Worthington

Q&A with historian Kevin Schultz, author of Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals)

_{May 15, 2025. Protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments in CASA v. Trump. Photo: SOPA Images Limited/Alamy Live News}

Erwin Chemerinsky on Testing the Limits of Presidential Power

By Nathalia Alcantara

The UC Berkeley Law dean breaks down the Supreme Court's game-changing ruling on birthright citizenship.

Black and white photo of Georgian-Colonial style house

_{Undated photograph of the UC Masonic Clubhouse. Courtesy Ian Stewart}

The Other Fraternity House

By Ian A. Stewart

For nearly 50 years, the Freemasons had an outsized presence on campus. Today, a new group is trying to revive that fraternal legacy.

Quinn-Davidson using a drip torch to ignite a controlled burn in a forest.

_{Marcus Hanschen}

The Burn Boss

By Coby McDonald, M.J. ’17

Lenya Quinn-Davidson is spearheading a UC-backed movement that empowers California citizens to fight fire with fire

_{Vivien Killilea/Stringer}

Keeping the Faith

By Chinaka Hodge

Alum of the Year, Cynt Marshall ’81, went from cheering on the sidelines to leading the front office

Illustration of a smartphone surrounded by labeled plants and animals

_{Illustration by Beatriz Ortiz}

I, Naturalist

By Nathalia Alcantara

How a Berkeley-born app has led to one of the largest biodiversity datasets on Earth

_{Martin do Nascimento/KQED}

Universities in the Crosshairs

By Margie Cullen, M.J. ’22

How the Trump Administration is gunning for higher education everywhere, UC included

Editor’s Note: Spring/Summer 2025

By Pat Joseph

Looking at Wildflowers and Wildfires

_{Bridget Ahern/Instagram @moon_rabbit_rising}

The Queen is Dead! Long Live the Queen!

By Hayden Royster

Berkeley’s beloved peregrine falcon, Annie, may be gone.

_{Photo by Julie Baldocchi}

Joy Luck Collection

By Leah Worthington

Bancroft Library receives Amy Tan’s personal archive

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