There hasn't been much activity in these parts over the last few years, as I'm sure you've noticed. I'm not particularly proud of that, and you may be wondering where I've been.
As in previous update posts, I'm still in grad school. I'm working on my doctorate at Boston University in American & New England Studies, with a focus on media studies within that field. Most of last year was spent preparing for my qualifying exams, which I am happy to announce I passed! So I am officially a PhD candidate now, and I am beginning work on my dissertation prospectus.
Here I am immediately after passing the exam.
What is my dissertation going to be about, you ask? It's evolving still, but I am going to examine the relationship between U.S. superhero media and war since WWII, particularly in how superheroes promote U.S. militarism and how the U.S. military engages with superhero media. I'm looking at comics, films, and television shows, though I'm still working out which case studies I will be working with. So far, I know I want to organize my chapters around particular figures, and I know that The Punisher and Watchmen will be two of my case studies.
This past fall, I also taught a class on U.S. war films in the sound era, focusing specifically on WWII, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. We looked at contemporaneous films from each war (Bataan for WWII, The Green Berets for Vietnam, The Hurt Locker for Iraq), as well as returning-veteran films (The Best Years of Our Lives, Coming Home, Home of the Brave), documentaries (Prelude to War, Hearts and Minds, The War Tapes), and "nostalgia" films (Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, American Sniper), with the goal of understanding how war films and warfare have changed over the past 100 years. It was an incredible experience - especially for my first time teaching solo - and I thank my wonderful students for making it so rewarding.
So, what comes next? Now that I'm mostly working on research and writing, I'm planning on resuming regular posts on this blog. My goal for this year is to publish something at least once a week, ideally twice a week. Some of these posts will be related to my research, as I work out my thoughts and ideas (I encourage your input in the comments, on these and all posts). Some will be reviews of films I've watched, and some will be about whatever is on my mind at the time. So, basically exactly what I was doing five years ago.
In the immediate future, be on the lookout for my top 10 list for 2019, the 10th Annual Jarmo Awards (can you believe it?!?), and my thoughts on what is shaping up to be one of the least interesting Oscar seasons that I can remember.
Thanks for reading, and I'll post again soon!
