In this incisive analysis of Jackie Sibbles Drury’s 2018 play Fairview, Sadie Shapiro illuminates how the dramatic transformation of a family meal parallels the intrusion of white voices which distort and displace Black narratives and lived experiences. As increasingly extravagant and strange dishes dominate the dinner table, white intruders warp this domestic scene into something […]

In this deeply reflective essay, Samantha Rauh critically examines the image of the beloved female detective not as an icon of proto-feminism, but of colonial whiteness and patriarchy. Through an original and detailed breakdown of the cover of The Hidden Staircase, Rauh argues that Drew’s neat appearance and conformity to white beauty standards contradict the […]

Julia Bansal’s “Reading the Dance Floor: Gossip and Nonverbal Communication in Urban Nightlife” emphasizes the importance of taking gossip seriously in night clubs, particularly queer ones, by examining Fran Lebowitz’s “Disco Hints.” Highlighting the essential nature of these clubs as spaces separate from the public sphere where queerness can be expressed and discovered communally, Bansal […]

In this fascinating paper, Thanh Luong examines the complicated production and cultural importance of Vietnamese street food xiên bẩn, or “dirty skewers.” Despite widespread concerns about the hygiene and legitimacy of ingredients, Luong finds that Vietnamese youth are drawn to buy dirty skewers because of the affordable, communal nature of the stalls. Luong positions the […]