Writing Samples

Academic Writing | Journalistic Writing | Screenplay Writing | Technical Writing & Instructional Design

Academic Writing

"Distance and Humor: The Art of Thomas Rowlandson,"
Eighteenth Century Studies, Vol. 11, No. 4, (Summer 1978), 457-472.
A discussion of the 18th century caricaturist's peculiar brand of humor.
"Four Modes of Caricature: Reflections upon a Genre,"
Bulletin of Research in the Humanities, Vol. 87, No. 1, (1986-87), 29-62.
Identifies caricature as a "visual form of wit" and describes four resulting modes: portrait, satiric, comic or humorous, and grotesque. I discuss caricatures by Ghezzi, Max Beerbohm, David Levine, Hogarth, Gillray, Rowlandson, Bunbury, Daumier, and others. This article does not appear to be available through JSTOR or from the New York Public Library, so I've included a copy here.
"Pride & Prejudice: The Limits of Society,"
SEL: Studies in English Literature: 1500-1900, Vol. 19 (1979), 609-622.
A close reading of Jane Austen's most popular novel.
"Review of Elizabeth French Boyd, Bloomsbury Heritage,"
The Denver Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 1, (Spring 1977), 359-361.
"Tennyson: The Paradox of the Sign,"
Victorian Poetry, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Autumn 1979) 204-216.
A close reading of "Break, Break, Break" and "Mariana" and a discussion of Tennyson's theory of language.
"Thomas Patch: A New Interpretation"
Unpublished article on the enigmatic 18th century caricaturist. Under revision now; looking for an appropriate venue.
"To the Lighthouse: An Introduction"
Unpublished lecture on what I consider to be Virginia Woolf's greatest work. The lecture was originally given to a book group in Santa Monica, CA. It sets the novel in historical, literary, and biographical contexts. In what is probably the strongest part of the essay, I show how To the Lighthouse can be seen as a perfect example of the poetic novel Woolf described in her literary criticism of that period. An accompanying Powerpoint Presentation contains photos of the Godrevy Lighthouse which is the model for the one in the novel, as well as photos of some of people on whom the characters in the novel are based. Lovers of To the Lighthouse may also wish to take a look at the screenplay I've written based on the novel.