Category Archives: Pop Culture

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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What Do You Find Boring? podcast edition

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Sharyn

I am an avid podcast listener. I have a number of subscriptions of my phone and separate set of subscriptions on my running iPod. They run the gamut of genres, from true crime (Casefile) to comedy (The Flop House) to … 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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#RIPAli

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Sharyn

By now, we’ve all heard of the passing of the Greatest, Muhammad Ali, over the weekend. He was truly the Greatest, as he himself continually reminded us, and we continually agreed. Since I moved to the Louisville area a few … Continue reading →

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Teen Conversion Narratives in Popular Culture

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Sharyn

As someone who grew up in a very religious family and educational culture (I essentially attended the school from Saved!), I am fascinated by stories of persons who did not grow up that way, but chose religion on their own … 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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