Category Archives: Pop Culture

The Theft of Marsha P. Johnson

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Sharyn

Over the past few weeks, it has come to light that a new documentary about the legendary transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson was made in a highly unethical fashion. The still-developing story about The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson is a sad … Continue reading →

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Angels in America at the Actors Theatre

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Sharyn

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to see Part 2, “Perestroika,” of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. As I have mentioned several times in this blog, I teach Angels regularly as part of my 20th century … Continue reading →

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Alt, Schmalt

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Sharyn

You may have heard about the new show concept announced from the creative team behind the HBO hit Game of Thrones. The new show, to be produced for HBO, is called Confederate and is set in a “grisly dystopian future” in which the … Continue reading →

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Are You Ready for Some Rhetorical Analysis??

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Sharyn

American football is inescapable. And though it is the off season, I’ve been thinking about football and rhetoric quite a bit. This was brought on by watching the second season of Amazon Studios’ documentary-series, All or Nothing, which follows an NFL … Continue reading →

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Mime Field

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Sharyn

      The internet anger machine has finally discovered the San Francisco Mime Troupe (SFMT), a political theatre group that has been active since 1959. Over the July 1 weekend, the Troupe premiered their new play, Walls, about an unlikely … Continue reading →

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Fences…Meh?

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Sharyn

This is going to sound awfully petty, or snobbish, but I finally got around to watching Fences, the filmed adaptation of the August Wilson play from 2016. Directed by and starring Denzel Washington, it essentially adapts the 2010 Broadway revival in … Continue reading →

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A New Native Son, Part 2

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Sharyn

Read Part 1 here As promised, I wanted to address a few more things regarding the proposed upcoming adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son. First, the way the novel links to our current political situation, and second, what Suzan-Lori Parks, the … Continue reading →

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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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Election 2016 in Black & White

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Sharyn

A funny thing has happened during this tumultuous dumpster fire of a United States election season: Black poets are getting play from the Republicans. That’s right, the Tump side of the Presidential race has been highlighting the work of a … Continue reading →

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