A. Loudermilk

A. Loudermilk’s cultural criticism, subjects including Truman Capote writing himself as a girl, Nina Simone and the Civil Rights Movement, and George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, has been published in journals like the Writer’s Chronicle, River Teeth, the Journal of International Women’s Studies, and Bright Lights Film Journal. His website Quirky Cinema offers tightly packed reviews of over 500 mostly obscure films. He’s been publishing poetry since 1994, including his collection Strange Valentine, and has taught creative writing at Hampshire College and Maryland Institute College of Art.
32 Films That Begin With Leaving a Mental Institution

32 Films That Begin With Leaving a Mental Institution

"Crazy" movies for crazy times. These 32 films make the case for the recently-escaped-or-released-mental-patient narrative as its own subgenre, replete with a language of recurring themes, plot devices, and character archetypes.

The 25 Best Space Disco Songs of 1976-1986

The 25 Best Space Disco Songs of 1976-1986

With Star Trek: Picard and Space Force in the news, it's time to revisit the best space disco of the original era. These 25 songs feature outer space on the dance floor, from the avant-garde to Star Wars commercialism and beyond.

Elsa Lanchester Was Born to Defy Heteronormativity

Elsa Lanchester Was Born to Defy Heteronormativity

The reissue of autobiography Elsa Lanchester, Herself, brings forth an engaging woman who helped to queer Hollywood well beyond her role in The Bride of Frankenstein.

From Cowpunk to Sarah Shook

From Cowpunk to Sarah Shook

The early '80s subgenre, cowpunk, defied genre purism and redefined authenticity. That paved the way for today's hottest alt-country hero, Sarah Shook.

Who Are Nipplepeople? A Mysterious Croatian Electropop Group

Who Are Nipplepeople? A Mysterious Croatian Electropop Group

Who Are Nipplepeople? The masked duo behind a string of electropop hits in Croatia, 2009-2018. We survey the group's music.

George A. Romero’s ‘Martin’: On Lasting Intimacy with a Cult Cinema Vampire

George A. Romero’s ‘Martin’: On Lasting Intimacy with a Cult Cinema Vampire

Why do horror fans take Romero's 1978 indie masterpiece so personally? A close look at the film, its novelization, its soundtrack, the Soft Cell pop song it inspired, and other pop culture obsessions.

Caitlyn Jenner, Rachel Dolezal, and the Shifting Boundaries of Identity

Caitlyn Jenner, Rachel Dolezal, and the Shifting Boundaries of Identity

Transracialism may and may not be as legitimate as transgenderism in the modern push for fluidity of identity categories.
What Happened, Miss Simone? Captures Its Subject in Stained Glass

What Happened, Miss Simone? Captures Its Subject in Stained Glass

This award-winning documentary raises the bar for how Simone is represented in popular culture and history books. It's now on DVD with a 15-song bonus CD.
A Queer Alliance: Dame Margaret Rutherford and Dawn Langley Simmons

A Queer Alliance: Dame Margaret Rutherford and Dawn Langley Simmons

Rutherford, an actor famous for playing spinsters and quirky aunts. Simmons, an author infamous for changing sex and marrying outside her race.
Less Story, More Play: All Aboard for Planet Marlys!

Less Story, More Play: All Aboard for Planet Marlys!

Legendary cartoonist Lynda Barry's most iconic character takes center stage in this large-format hardback.
Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie

Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie

The new Agatha Christie biography is a graphic novel in form but a mere flipbook in narrative.
Feminist Classic ‘Antonia’s Line’ Is Still Rewarding and Relevant

Feminist Classic ‘Antonia’s Line’ Is Still Rewarding and Relevant

Given today’s “war on women” and its intensified “rape culture”, Marleen Gorris’ Antonia’s Line is as relevant as ever.