Selected Writing

Interviews, criticism, and longform reporting across culture and media.

I was a Houston Flood Kid

As Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, I reflected on growing up with perpetual flood anxiety in Houston. (The A.V. Club)

How Insane Clown Posse won hearts and minds at the Juggalo March

I was on the ground in D.C. to witness how ICP went from punch line to cause célèbre. (The A.V. Club)

My Favorite Music Year: 1993

Why is 1993 my favorite year for music? Fugazi, Sugar, J Church, A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, Superchunk, Archers Of Loaf, Shellac, and so many more. (The A.V. Club)

“You’ve got to walk yourself to the edge”: Patton Oswalt talks despair and defiance

I interviewed Patton Oswalt ahead of his soul-scorching stand-up special about the sudden death of his wife. (The A.V. Club)

Summarize The Simpsons in 10 episodes? That’s unpossible! (But we try anyway)

I took on the fool’s errand of choosing the 10 most representative episodes of one of the most acclaimed, longest-running series of all time. (The A.V. Club)

The Go-Go’s made history with Beauty And The Beat—and barely survived it

We’re No. 1 is one of my favorite features, a close examination of an album that topped the Billboard 200. This one looked at the first album by The Go-Go’s. (The A.V. Club)

The surprisingly subversive album that changed stand-up comedy forever

I wrote about Bob Newhart’s massively successful debut stand-up album. (The A.V. Club)

If ‘The Interview’ were a prestige pic, how would this have gone?

If Seth Rogen and James Franco’s dopey comedy were an “important movie,” it would’ve had a lot more defenders. And that’s a problem. (Entertainment Weekly)