News

My new book on fascism in film came out this week! Buy it now! Buy it again just to be safe!

On Patreon

The 100th best album ever, Risque Rhythm, a collection of dirty jump blues. (and why comps on best of lists aren’t cheating.)

I wrote a couple haiku.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At Public Books, Lucinda Elliot wrote about why Georgette Heyer is reactionary and romances for working people. (This is part of an occasional series on romance novels that I edit.

At Quartz I wrote about

—the Supreme Court wedding cake case and how denying people service contributes to restrictions on free speech.

—Al Franken resigning, and why it’s a sign of Democratic strength.

At Splice Today I wrote about:

—why the Democrats aren’t to blame for the tax bill.

—a Superman comic from my childhood Part of a new series; this one’s about not wanting to be a superhero and Superman as un-castrator.

 
On Patreon

On science-fiction and how we no longer believe in a future.

The 5th Dimension’s Magic Garden is better than Sgt. Pepper’s.

Why the white working class came out for Trump.

 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At Vice I wrote about the wonderful horror television show No End House, and using serial fiction to mirror grief.

At Pacific Standard I wrote about Mr. Robot and why you can’t have a socialist superhero.

At A Beautiful Perspective I wrote about

—the Chicago campaign to keep Rahm Emanuel from spending 95 million on a new cop academy.

—Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series and why screen sci-fi is less adventurous than sci-fi novels.

At Splice Today I wrote about

—Hamilton’s Battalion, a series of romance novellas about marginalized people during the Revolutionary war.

—whether Jane Austen was a lesbian.

—how you (yes you!) are implicated in Murder on the Orient Express.

Image is the cover of Midori Takada’s album Through the Looking Glass

 
On Patreon

I wrote about the 103rd and 104th best albums of all time and cultural appropriation. (albums by Johnny Dyani and Midori Takada.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the LA Times I wrote about the uselessness of the “convince your Trump-supporting relatives” at Thanksgiving pieces.

For Bandcamp I did a list of South African jazz.

For Splice Today I wrote about

—new noise releases by Richard Ramirez, Pharmakon, and Igorrr.

—racism in His Girl Friday.

—Al Franken, who should resign.

A long piece on the evolution of apocalypse at Document Journal. (not online, but you can see my name on the masthead.)
 
 
 

 
News

I was interviewed for the AMC documentary on Wonder Woman. I was only on briefly, and I kind of look horrible, and the documentary isn’t that good…but I’m on TV, fwiw.

On Patreon

I wrote about the 104th best album of all time; a four duet single by Kay Starr and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

In my first piece for the Washington Post I wrote about Flash, the first Jewish superhero.

At NBC, I wrote about how the JLA turns Wonder Woman into a sidekick and I wish they wouldn’t.

At Thinkprogress I wrote about how Republicans and maybe Democrats can get more women into office.

At A Beautiful Perspective I wrote a short profile of lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan.

At the Chronicle of Higher Education I wrote about the pros and cons of live-tweeting conferences.

At Splice Today I wrote about

—how whiteness leads to gun violence.

—Taming of the Shrew as a nasty screwball comedy.

At the Chicago Reader I wrote about Cold Specks’ amazing new album.

At Bandcamp I wrote about the new album by jazz/R&B vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles.

 
News

My book on fascism in film is available for preorder! Find out why you shouldn’t kill baby hitler! Identify Nazis so you can punch them in the snoot! and more! much more! (You can see the table of contents here

Or! join my patron at $3/month and you can download the book right now!

On Patron

A list of the 15 greatest albums ever.

I started a book on the 105 greatest albums of all time. 105 is Sato Koji’s My Guitar Can Sing.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

On the confused anti-imperialism of Thor: Ragnarok.

At Bandcamp I reviewed an amazing French/Congolese New Wave collaboration by Zazou Bikaye.

At Splice Today I wrote about Thor: Ragnarok and how Chris Hemsworth is our new Cary Grant.

At the Chicago Reader I reviewed hip hop lounge funk producer Mndsgn.’s latest.

Patreon

A weird piece about Channel Zero: No End House and how the Internet is a tomb.

I posted the cover for my forthcoming book on films about fascism.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Forward I reviewed an excellent new book about the alt right by George Hawley.

At NBC I wrote about Zoé Quinn’s new book and making art to spite the harassers.

On Splice Today I

—interviewed Nick Antosca, the creator of Channel Zero: No End House.

—wrote about The Palm Beach Story, a sex worker rom com 50 years before Pretty Woman.

—wrote about Ka Baird‘s weird avant pagan spooky folk music.

 
Utilitarians Everywhere

The lovely and talented Donovan Morgan Grant and I talked about Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman on his podcast, the Comic Book Film Revue.

At Thinkprogress I wrote about a study that shows that when female homicide rates dropped when Craigslist opened its erotic services section.

At the Verge I argued that Elizabeth Marston and Olive Byrne totally had sex with each other just like the new movie says.

At Pacific Standard I told Dick Durbin not to chase those mythical sensible centrists.

At Quartz I wrote about how the Weinstein story is about patriarchy as well as sexism.

At Splice Today I wrote about

—the craven new social media policy at the New York Times.

—The Awful Truth and risqué innocence.

At Bandcamp I wrote about a great world dance album by Diron Animal.