Essays

Why Do We Want Ceasefires?

A 7th-Century Roman-Arab Conflict Shows the Power of Enduring Peace Treaties Over Temporary Truces

Why do we want a ceasefire?

This question is in the news as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, but the question is actually ancient. It reminds me, a historian of ancient Rome, of the 7th-century emperor Justinian II, and of some very old but still relevant concerns about whether ceasefires are worth pursuing.

Romans and others in the ancient world distinguished between a peace treaty and a truce, what we now call a ceasefire. Truces paused fighting, often for a specified period of time and sometimes following concessions by one …

by Edward Watts |

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Why Won’t Governments Regulate AI?

Enthusiasts Say the Technology Will Herald a ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution.’ Unchecked, It’s More Likely to Intensify Inequality and Corporate Power

by Brian Judge |

This piece publishes as part of the Zócalo, Arts for LA, ASU Narrative and Emerging Media Program, and LACMA program “Is AI the End …

In South Central, a ‘Rebel Garden’ of True Bounty

Growing a Community Space in L.A. to Heal and To Reconnect to the Land

by Erica Montelongo |

Being a steward of the earth is a responsibility I hold dear to my heart. That’s why, four years ago, I got involved in creating a raised-bed garden in South …

Let Artists Choose Activism

Or Not. But Don’t Assume That Anyone’s Identity Should Define Their Work

by Jessie Kornberg |

This piece publishes as part of the Zócalo, Thomas Mann House, and L.A. Review of Books conference on the role of artists in weakened …

A Playwright’s ‘Wait … What?’ Approach to Difficult History

Mining Shock and Disbelief to Connect Audiences With the Past, Present, and One Another

by Michelle Kholos Brooks |

I’m often identified as someone who writes “issues” plays, but I’m less high-minded about my subject matter than I should probably admit. Generally, I don’t decide to write a play …

How Hollywood’s Black Friday Strike Changed Labor Across America

A 1945 Union vs. Studios Battle Set Off Broad Right-Wing Hysteria—Its Lessons Should Resonate Today

by Gerald Horne and Anthony Ballas |

It was October 5, 1945. The Conference of Studio Unions (CSU), a union representing craft laborers in Los Angeles, including painters, carpenters, set designers, cartoonists, and others, was seven months …


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