From early Japanese folklore and Dante’s Inferno to post-Soviet film and modern-day scapegoating in the U.S., humanity has long grappled with its fears through storytelling as well as violence. This collection of books traverses these themes, diving deep and analyzing the way these anxieties manifest in our behavior, political decisions and the creative works we produce.

Jenny Kaminer has been named director of the Davis Humanities Institute (DHI). Over the past two years, Kaminer, a professor of Russian, has chaired the DHI Visioning Committee, leading a collaborative effort to reimagine and revitalize the institute.

In response to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s recent death, "Navalny," a documentary focused on his 2020 poisoning and life thereafter, will be screened at Cruess Hall on Feb. 26. The screening is free and open to the public.