#Essays

The Bookish Life of boygenius

boygenius, an indie band formed in 2018, has many a bookish influence. Here's on how books have both connected them and inspired them.

In Defense of Didactic Literature

Whatever lesson didactic literature is trying to teach, there's a place for it in the reading landscape of the world.

Save My Place! A Brief Look at the History of Bookmarks

From the first leather bookmark to anti-tuberculosis bookmarks, here is a brief history of bookmarks over the centuries.

Children on Toast and Other Musings: 30 Years of Hocus Pocus

Come! We fly!!

What’s With All the Writing Cults in Fiction? An Exploration

I noticed something weird and sinister in the way authors portrayed writers and readers. What's with all the writing cults in fiction?

Influential BIPOC Authors You May Have Never Heard of

There are scores of influential authors of color who deserve wider readership. Let me introduce you to (or remind you of) some of them here.

Why Does Frankenstein Endure in Pop Culture?

Whether because it was a pioneer of science fiction, a powerful story of hubris, or something else, FRANKENSTEIN endures.

On Being Ill with Virginia Woolf

As I read Woolf’s description of the transformation that an illness can have on the mind, I felt as if I was being seen for the first time.

A Nation Haunted: The Social Significance of Ghost Stories

The ghost story is one of the most vibrant modes in U.S. American literature today. But why are ghost stories still relevant?

Give Us What We Want: On BARBIE, FLASH, and BATGIRL

The Barbie movie is Warner Brother's highest grossing film ever. So why do they not seem to want to make many female-led movies?