Comparative Literature

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Your Berkeley Connect in Comparative Literature Experience

  • Small Group Discussions — Recent topics have included: a) Why Comparative Literature?, b) Why does literary criticism matter?, c) Tips and tricks for close reading, and d) Making the library work for you.

  • Major exploration — Creates space to talk about what the Comp Lit major is, how we read, why we read, and what students gain from the discipline.

  • Career pathways — Features alumni events highlighting the diverse professions Comp Lit graduates pursue.

  • Faculty conversations — Offers sessions where professors discuss how they came to the field, how they write and think, and how scholarly disagreements shape interpretation.

  • Field trips — Fellows lead visits to campus resources like the Bancroft Library and BAMPFA to deepen literary and cultural engagement.

Graduate Mentor Role                                                                                          

At the heart of Berkeley Connect is the relationship between you and your mentor. They:

  • Build community by leading small, discussion‑based sessions

  • Provide one‑on‑one support with personalized guidance and resources

  • Demystify the major by sharing skills, strategies, and tips on research and grad school

About Your Graduate Mentor (Fall Only) 

Woman with short, dark, curly hair wearing a black blazer, a white shirt, and glasses.

Yana Zlochistaya
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature working primarily in Russian, Ukrainian, and English. I study the way Soviet translators used their work as a means of undermining the political and aesthetic norms of the USSR. As a former Berkeley undergrad myself, I have over a decade’s worth of experience (and trivia) that I love sharing with my mentees. Something I wish I had known as an undergrad is that you are a human first and a student second. Outside of graduate school, I work at a bookstore in San Francisco and translate Ukrainian literature into English.

Faculty Director

The faculty director supports the graduate fellow by planning the semester activities, and the graduate student facilitates the class. 

Headshot of Sophie Volpp

Sophie Volpp

Berkeley Connect Faculty Director, Comparative Literature

Catherine and William L. Magistretti Distinguished Professor; Professor of East Asian Languages & Cultures and Comparative Literature
Research Interests

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