Tag: feminism

Review of Bold Breaks: Japanese Women and Literary Narratives of Divorce

~ Kathryn ~ Leave a comment

I recently had the honor of writing a short review of the anthology Bold Breaks: Japanese Women and Literary Narratives of Divorce for the online academic journal Studies on Asia.

Bold Breaks combines four substantial literary translations with a lovely set of introductory and contextual essays by the translators. It’s a very cool anthology on an important theme that’s gotten surprisingly little scholarly attention, and I’d love to see more books like this!

Here’s a short excerpt from my review:

With its equal emphasis on translation and analysis, Bold Breaks points toward a model that deserves to be more widely adopted, especially as there are relatively few books that pair substantial works of translated fiction with critical analysis that remains accessible without sacrificing depth. The generous endnotes and translator introductions contextualize the stories while illuminating the craft of translation itself, underscoring how interpretation and analysis are inseparable. It’s also worth noting that the collection is a pleasure to read, as the stories carry an emotional immediacy that complements their scholarly framing.

If you’re interested, you can read the full review here:
https://studiesonasia.scholasticahq.com/article/164797-book-review

The Wisdom of the Waiting Princess

~ Kathryn ~ Leave a comment

The Wisdom of the Waiting Princess is an empowering feminist reading of how the trope of the “captive princess” applies to the Zelda of the original 1986 game. While this Zelda is an action hero in her own right, her wisdom manifests in her remarkable ability to lay plans for the future.

You can read the essay on AO3 here:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/67410167

I had the honor of contributing this essay to Silent Princess: A Zelda Zine. The zine’s website is on Carrd (here), and you can check out the art and writing featured in the zine on its Tumblr site (here). Leftover sales of the zine merch are currently open (here), and you can still pick up a digital copy of the zine (here). All profits from zine sales will go to support Doctors Without Borders.

This original design for Princess Zelda was created by Hollarity, who put an incredible amount of love and care into portraying the character as a courageous young woman who is fully capable of going on her own adventures. You can find more of Holly’s gorgeous artwork on her website (here).

Essay about Elden Ring and Dark Academia

~ Kathryn ~ Leave a comment

I’m excited to share an essay I wrote for Bloodletter Magazine, a stylish biannual anthology of queer and feminist horror. The piece is titled “Dark Academia for Dark Times: Elden Ring and the Fall of the Academy,” and I’m writing about how the haunted lore of the game’s cursed university reflects real-world academic anxieties. 

You can read the essay here:
https://bloodlettermag.com/dark-academia-for-dark-times-elden-ring-and-the-fall-of-the-academy/

While I use the character Rennala from Elden Ring as an illuminating point of focus, my piece is really about the uncanny connections between the crisis currently facing universities and the social media aesthetic of “dark academia” embraced by young women. I’m arguing that the association of dark academia with the corruption of female bodies reflects deeper concerns regarding the ties between academic liberalism and the decay of imperial privilege. 

Basically: Is the wokeness of postcolonial queer feminism ruining college? I would like to believe that it is, and I think this is kind of neat, actually.

My piece is graced with a creepy spot illustration by the magical Katy Horan, who goes by @goodyhoran on Instagram, and you can follow Bloodletter at @bloodlettermag, where they post eye-catching film stills from indie horror movies created by emerging female directors.