Author Archives: Marshall

For an individual who considers themselves “happy,” reading Claudia Rankine’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely is an exercise in self-restraint. “Why” you may angrily shout at the lifeless novel “can’t she stop being so damned depressed?” Yet to read Rankine’s … Continue reading →

Perhaps one of the most insightful moments into Bechdel’s work occurred for me as I watched her describe the process she used to create Fun Home. As Bechdel described the way in which she meticulously crafted her drawings around reality … Continue reading →

Within his book, The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois begins every chapter with an excerpt of a song. These paratextual inclusions are particularly telling of Du Bois’ own experience and the tone which the respective chapter takes. Chapter … Continue reading →

Reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and comparing it to the spiritual autobiographies of the Puritans has brought to light what Smith and Watson refer to as audience. That is not to say that the juxtaposition of the two styles … Continue reading →

While vacationing, families tend to do things. I don’t simply mean that they spend time together, but often there is an activity that everyone must engage in on every vacation. Some families have to play miniature golf, others make sure … Continue reading →

Californication is probably one of my favorite shows on television. To briefly sum it up, the main character, Hank Moody, is something of a washed up author/rock star. An episode generally consists of Hank trying to do right by his … Continue reading →