In the second installment of her “Off the Shelf” column, Corina Yi PO ’28 reviews K-Ming Chang’s short story collection “Gods of Want.” Featuring cigarette-ad models coming to life, ghost-cousins, shape-shifting daughters, various nameless widows and nine-headed birds, the collection blurs the line between realism
Columns
A Girl’s Guide to Terrible Men: Men think they invented liking “The Godfather”
When columnist Bianca Mirica PO’29 was fourteen, her father decided it was time to watch “The Godfather” together. Years later, Mirica reflects on the iconic film’s male power dynamics, Al Pacino’s face card, and all of “The Godfather”’s unsung heroes — the women.
Audrey Between Frames: ‘The Boroughs’ contention with ageism is weighed down by Netflix banality
Audrey Green SC ’27 partially praises Netflix’s new sci-fi thriller “The Boroughs” for its novel concept. Moving past the script’s quippy nature and poor execution, the show was thematically provocative, especially for those with a deep-seated fear of being deemed nonsensical.
What Makes Us Human: Five things AI can’t replicate
In her first column, Kira Heller ’29 dives into her thoughts about what makes humans distinct amid the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. She uses Notre Dame’s DELTA framework to explore five human qualities that AI can’t replace: dignity, embodiment, love, transcendence and agency.
Looking for New York: A love letter to the rats of NYC
In New York, rats are everywhere. In Malibu, not so much. Why is it that we are so viscerally disgusted by rats, so instinctively opposed to their presence?
Anime Film Features: Sealing the door with Suzume
In his final entry of “Anime Film Features,” columnist Joon Kim PO ’26 tackles “Suzume,” a movie he had always intended to watch yet never did up until now.
Inscriptions: Put down the book and pick up the goop
There was a bubbling cauldron of green goop sitting on my buddy Antonio’s fridge. When I asked him what the goop was, he laughed maniacally, adjusted his glasses and went back to working on his remote-controlled airplane.
The Writing Process: Night surfin’
Is your writing stuck? Look no further! Otto Fritton PZ ’27 returns with his not-so-weekly column, “The Writing Process.” In this edition, he analyzes a young Stephen King’s short story, “Night Surf.”
The Daily Palette: Dislodging popular culture in ‘Interference Patterns’
Following little Meiya as she runs around her father’s store, carrying pens and paper, Meiya Rollins PO ’29 reflects on her and her father’s shared love of comics in the exhibition “Interference Patterns” at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College. Consisting of John Sparagana’s work, who splices and remixes popular images, she instantly gravitated towards his piece “Superman Variations.” Rollins questions her interest in this piece as she says, “What context is Sparagana wanting to take away from this popular comic, and what is he wanting us to see?”
5Cs After Dark: The algorithm ate my boyfriend
Do you ever get the feeling that your love interest is brain-rotted past the point of no return? Arianna Kaplan SC ’27 and Siena Giacoma PZ ’27 examine the effect short-form media is having on our ability to meaningfully interact with each other in the semester’s final edition of 5Cs After Dark.