Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a little roundup of things I’ve written recently, in case you missed my admittedly sporadic and low-key boosting of them on various social media platforms.
There should be a few more coming soon! And if you are an editor looking to commission essays, opinion pieces, and reported stories on fandom, social media, entertainment, or history and science, please let me know because I would love to write for you ✌️🥰
Tumblr is betting big on going small for The Verge
Without visible follower counts or verification, and thus no direct route to becoming an influencer, Tumblr has fallen out of step with the rest of the platform ecosystem and provides a nostalgic reminder to users of how things used to be — and still sometimes are.
Can David Tennant’s return to Doctor Who usher in another golden age? for Polygon
To identify as a former Superwholock is to admit to having, at one point, possessed an earnest enthusiasm so large and unruly that it spilled over the boundaries of one franchise to encompass multiple fictional worlds.
Before the internet, one housewife was there to save your favorite show from cancellation for Insider
VQT became a part of the industry, representing viewers from a vaunted position that Swanson refers to as a "seat at the table." As an added bonus, stars would hug her when they saw her, invite her to their sets to watch VQT-approved shows during filming, and sometimes even call her up just to say hello.
Things I’m thankful for
The obvious (family’s health, career trajectory, friends and community)
My book deal (although that is also the thing that scares me the most)
Use of a shared unlimited subscription to the British Newspaper Archives digitized collection
OPC thrift store in Bushwick
Nook cafe in Bushwick and its Wednesday trivia nights
LearnedLeague (back in Rundle C this season! LFGGGGG)
Fashion Brand Company’s marketing emails
Alternative comedy, especially clowns from England and Australia
Old men (and women) who email me back within hours when I ask them a very specific question about their favorite Antarctic explorer
Archivists at universities and local museums who email me back within hours when I ask them a very specific question about MY favorite Antarctic explorers
PDFs <3333 and JPEGS <3333333
My mom’s NYT Cooking subscription
Historical fashion content creators on TikTok
All the Vulfpeck fans who recognized me at the merch booth during their Brooklyn shows, but especially the guy who told me he’d read and liked my article in the Verge about AI
That Joyce Carol Oates profile in the New Yorker, but especially the part where she shames Susan Sontag for partying too much, which is honestly something I needed to hear because I really do have to get more work done on my book instead of Enjoying The New York City Lifestyle 🥲