“You Ought To Be Protected”: On Shaming

Dear readers, I’m back. I’ve gone, and returned, before. But I’m really feeling it this time. To put it simply: I need this blog to live. Intellectually speaking, I need it in order… Continue reading →

See, this is why sexuality studies can’t have nice things

One of the most consistently annoying things about being in graduate school was how pervy the conversations were. I don’t mean that the people were pervy; actually, you’d be hard-pressed to find a… Continue reading →

Why Does Kryptonite Hurt Superman?

Recently, a lot of you have been wondering — in anticipation of this summer’s hottest new blockbuster, Ender’s Game — why it is, exactly, that kryptonite is so damaging to Superman. The reason… Continue reading →

paragon: jane mcgonigal’s “reality is broken”

The sheer number of games I invented or modified during my youth is both amazing and typical. Ninja Hide. Best Path. Tennis Baseball. Elder Dragon Wars. Fatal Leap. Cheater. Pothole Racing. I modified… Continue reading →

Signs of the Times: An Open Letter to Orlando Soria

Dear readers (gay or not), How much do symbolic protests — such as protests native to Facebook — matter? *** I think it’s fair to say that I have a robust immune system.… Continue reading →

as a matter of fact it’s all dark: cyberpunk, language, and the two worlds

Emma Becciu, one of the most gifted interpreters I’ve ever known, has begun a language & translation blog. A lot of it is in Italian; if you can’t read that, turn on Chrome’s… Continue reading →

in case of emergency

(SCENE. Kugelmass and Nicholas Bourbaki are chatting via Skype. To Kugelmass’s right is a small, unkempt mattress, strewn with gummi bears and Walter Benjamin essay collections. To his left is a painting that… Continue reading →

R.I.P. “proto-modernism”

If you’ve ever taken a college-level English course on literature written before 1900, the odds are pretty good that you’ve encountered a strange beast known as “the proto-modernist text.” Very often, this is… Continue reading →

Yes, We (Shere) Khan: The Life of Pi, A Film About The Simple Bare Necessities

First, you have to watch this short video. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. –Matthew 7:15 Why should you run? Can it… Continue reading →

the minor fall and the major lift, part one: on mozart

Note to the reader: the two performances above are both excellent realizations of Mozart’s musical ideas, even though, in both videos, the performers look totally ridiculous. I mean, just so bad. Like Monty… Continue reading →