Tag Archives: popular culture

A Scientific Literary Analysis

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Sharyn

A new article in the journal Bioscience (the actual article is currently behind a paywall) purports to use mathematical models to determine just what would have happened had Victor Frankenstein provided his Monster with a female mate in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Needless to … Continue reading →

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The Simpsons Enter “The Town”

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Sharyn

I realize it’s become pretty de rigueur to dismiss The Simpsons these days. I mean, even I, a die hard fan who remembers watching the very first episode way back in 1989, can admit that it’s not as strong as it … Continue reading →

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Olympic Feminism

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Sharyn

On the heels of my recent piece about intersectionality, I’m thinking a lot about Black feminism this week. African American women have been spectacular at this year’s Olympics in Rio, and their strength has been legendary. I wanted to highlight … Continue reading →

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Hannibal & the Ethics of Meat

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Sharyn

I’ve finally finished watching Hannibal, the television series created by Bryan Fuller that recently aired for 3 seasons on NBC. The show was particularly known for its lush, cinematic camera work and its focus on food–the preparation, the serving, and consumption … Continue reading →

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The Renaissance of Angels in America

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Sharyn

I regularly teach the American Literature Survey in my department–all three parts of it. My academic expertise technically only covers the last two courses, which at our institution cover 1865-1914 and 1914-present, respectively. (But I actually love teaching the first … Continue reading →

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On Lemonade, Part II

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Sharyn

The first part of this post can be found here. Beyoncé’s Lemonade album debuted as a “visual album” on HBO just before the album itself dropped. This short film contains all of the songs from the album along with Bey reading various … Continue reading →

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On Lemonade, Part I

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Sharyn

I, like everyone, can’t stop talking abut Beyoncé this year. I wrote about her “Formation” video and Super Bowl Halftime performance here and here. I’d like to add to the excellent conversations that are happening everywhere online right now about … Continue reading →

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Introducing Allen Iverson

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Sharyn

I recently watched Zatella Beatty’s documentary Iverson, available on Netflix streaming. When he was playing in the NBA, I never really knew much about Allen Iverson, except that he was something of a “bad boy” of basketball. After watching the … Continue reading →

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Thinking About a Global Blackness

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Sharyn

Now, before you read further, I need to make it clear that I am not thinking about Blackness in terms of myself. I am a white woman who happens to be a scholar of African American literature and theater, with … Continue reading →

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Fast Take: Hamilton

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Sharyn

Everyone is talking about Hamilton and rightly so. I’ve been listening to the cast recording continuously since it came out, and I bet you have, too. It’s endlessly delighting, incredibly moving, and maintains a strong sense of thematic unity throughout … Continue reading →

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