Critical Analysis: The Key Skill High School Kills
Column by Rob Blair Young April 16, 2021
Many students are stuck in "high school thinking" that prevents real critical analysis. In this article I define what that means, identify where students go wrong, and speculate on why this happens.
What Works & What Doesn't: 'Lost in Translation'
Column by Christopher Shultz September 4, 2015
Sofia Coppola's script not only typifies great nuts and bolts screenwriting, but also how prose-worthy and poetic approaches can influence the process.
What Works & What Doesn't: 'Chinatown'
Column by Christopher Shultz August 31, 2015
It's considered one of the best screenplays ever written, but why? Let's explore what works (and what doesn't work) about 'Chinatown.'
'The Babadook': A Lesson In Subtext
Column by Christopher Shultz April 10, 2015
One of 2014's most celebrated films may seem like just a slick, supernatural tale, but there's so much more going on between the lines.
Death by Canonization: Against Literary Criticism's Mortal Sin
Column by Rob Blair Young November 17, 2014
This extended rant targets a great sin of academic literary criticism: the tendency to praise "great" works in a way that pre-decides the work's value and sets everyone playing emperor's new clothes.
Storyville: Dissecting "Fireflies"
Column by Richard Thomas April 2, 2013
Dissecting my story, "Fireflies," I shine a light on my first attempt at magical realism — craft, process, and structure.
