New at Zócalo

  • Essay

    Why Do We Want Ceasefires?

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

    by Edward Watts |

    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 …

  • Connecting California

    Don’t Let the Government Get Your Goat

    Cedar, the Caprine Captive Caught in the Middle of a Fatal Legal Battle, Has an Important Story to Tell

    by Cedar the Goat, as told to Joe Mathews |

    I, Cedar, may be as dead as the narrator of the film Sunset Boulevard. But from my warm and dry pen in caprine heaven, I can still hand down a …

  • Essay

    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 …

  • Poetry

    to us in early winter

    by Dong Li

    when it is time
    the sun sets pink on the birch
    and it will be winter
    we are no stranger than we were
    gingered joy will have melted after
    icicles …

  • Essay

    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 …

  • Connecting California

    Go to Sleep, My City Council

    Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Stars, Goodnight to the Government Meetings That Should Close Before the Bars

    by Joe Mathews |

    I hereby propose a new rule to improve the quality of California’s local democracy. When the bars in your city close, so must your city council.

    The idea occurred to me …

  • Where I Go

    Where I Go: Redondo Beach Brings Me Back to Myself

    I’m the Keeper of My Family’s Memories. My Hometown Is Where I Uncover the Layers of Our Past

    by Jim Hinch |

    Late one afternoon last year, during a troubled time in my life, I took a long walk on the beach.

    A day of rain was ending. Watery sunlight shone on glossy …

  • Poetry

    The High-Flying Birds

    By YE Hui, translated by Dong LI

    Music does not matter

     

    Not much poetry to read

     

    The fresh air by the lake

    Only helpful to the lungs

     

    Throughout the year, I rarely dream

    But meditate a few times

     

    My life depends on others

     

    Some …

  • Essay

    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 …

  • Where I Go

    Where I Go: A Lifetime Spent Journaling

    As a Teen, It Saved My Sanity. Today, It Reminds Me to Pay Attention as Life Flows By

    by Katherine Hoffman |

    For years, I’ve told people that I started keeping a journal at 13. But when I go back and look, what do I find? I was an elderly 15, already …

  • The Takeaway

    A Song and Dance for Los Angeles’ Cultures and Communities

    Zócalo’s ‘Diaspora Dance Party’ at the Port of L.A. Celebrated the Music and Melodies That Define and Connect Us

    by Talib Jabbar and Jackie Mansky |

    They drove from Van Nuys, Boyle Heights, and Long Beach. They biked from Santa Monica. And they made the short walk from just down the street for “How Does a …

  • Connecting California

    Let the Kids Rule School Boards

    In the Midst of a Bipartisan Attack on Their Educational Rights, It’s Time for Young People to Fight Back

    by Joe Mathews |

    California kids, do you follow the news about the culture wars over the boards that oversee your schools?

    If you do, you’ll see these wars portrayed as political contests between groups …

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