Imagining a Black Wonder Woman
Growing up, I was told my favorite comic-book heroine was white. And yet her struggles always seemed uniquely similar to my own.
Childish Things
From Battleship to Barbie, how culture for young consumers shapes the identities they construct
Bend It Like Beckham and the Art of Balancing Cultures
When the film debuted 15 years ago, it taught me that shaping a hybrid identity could be a beautiful, inventive, and at times lonely experience.
Hayao Miyazaki and the Art of Being a Woman
The famed Japanese animator and director created heroines who defied feminine stereotypes and showed me how to be at home in my own skin.
Dear America: Reading Through History
In the aftermath of 9/11, the young-adult historical fiction series showed me how people move forward after earth-shattering moments.
Ghostwriter: The Most Literary '90s Kids Show
The children’s series inspired its young audience to appreciate the mysteries and power of language.
Labyrinth and the Dark Heart of Childhood
Jim Henson’s 1986 film understands at its core that youth is full of mystery, tricks, and danger.
Little House and the Art of Hiding Your Feelings
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular book series championed emotional restraint—an approach I’ve come to both question and appreciate in adulthood.
She-Ra and the Fight Against the Token Girl
Decades before the outcry against the Ghostbusters remake, a 1980s kids show tried—and failed—to subvert male-centric stories.
Why Hollywood Doesn’t Tell More Stories for—and About—Girls
It has partly to do with a dearth of women behind the scenes, changing audience tastes, and an evolving industry.
Coming to Terms With Tintin
The scrappy Belgian reporter was my childhood hero. Reading his books as an adult is a little more complicated.