MUSINGS
Observations of a Pop Culture Connoisseur

Photo still from Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! (2026) I, alone in a theater, watching The Bride! (2026), a reimagining of what the monster of Frankenstein’s bride could have been, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Per usual, I yearned for the solitude I often require in movie theaters— to gasp aloud, to let out a gut-busting guffaw, to scream “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!” without disturbing others. From its opening moments, The Bride! establishes itself not as a simple

The Journal of Mythology, Volume 1, Issue 1 My newly published article for the inaugural issue of The Journal of Mythology  examines Thetis, the mother of Achilles, tracing her evolution from ancient myth to modern storytelling. In The Iliad , she appears mainly as a sorrowful intermediary, defined by her son’s fate within a male-centered narrative. But contemporary retellings bring her to the forefront as a complex figure shaped by power, trauma, and resistance. The article

Opening credits. Video from original film captured by the author. I purchased Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006) on DVD in 2007, shortly after its theatrical release. I was twenty-six years old, active-duty military, stationed in Italy, and living alone in a two-story townhouse in a small town where I didn’t speak the language. To self-soothe, I spent much of my time reading and watching films, often contending with my own fear of feeling and being out of place. My grow

Photo courtesy of autostraddle.com Freddie Brooks is culturally significant. Winifred “Freddie” Brooks, played by Cree Summer in The...

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been published in the music issue of midnight & indigo . My essay explores my deep fascination with liner notes during my girlhood in the 1990s. For me, CD and cassette booklets were much more than simple packaging. The lyrics, credits, artwork, and personal notes found within those pages were a gateway to my growing passion for American pop culture and mediums that transmit creativity and art through mass communication. The journal is out now!

Here's a current collection of books, music, and media occupying my attention: ·         Paula Cole’s 1996 album This Fire ·        ...

(This presentation was delivered at the Northeast Modern Language Association’s panel “Re-engaging with the Old Myths: Contemporary...

Fear of Flying recently marked its fiftieth anniversary in November, boasting over 20 million copies sold since its initial publication....

Beowulf gets his ass beat by Grendel’s mother. He may have won the war, but she gave him one hell of a time with the battle! For a...

Jon Favreau’s adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s jungle portrays an ecosystem filled with lush, awe-inducing beauty and a place requiring...