Analysis is the bread and butter. The meat and potatoes. When you cut into the center of a body paragraph, it better be juicy and savory and delicious. Am I hungry as I write ... READ the POST
Observation: Make It Striking
Let’s get something out of the way real quick: I desecrate my books. *Le gasp!* In every book of my academic career, you can find phrases circled and underlined, passages ... READ the POST
Better Arguments vs Misreads: Sia’s “The Greatest”
If readers get to say what it means, anything goes, right? A work can mean whatever. The ultimate subjectivity. Well, not exactly. A piece of literature can mean a lot of different ... READ the POST
Who Gets to Say What It Means: New Criticism
A lot of people don’t like their English classes. Yes, writing papers sucks, and yes, the dense, dusty classics are usually a bore. But it’s deeper than that. In every English class ... READ the POST
I’m Not Published, I’m Not a Prof.
I’m not an author by trade. Okay, let’s be honest, I’m not an anything-by-trade except a lit crit (of the professorial variety) and it’s been four years since I left academia (without the PhD). So ... READ the POST
