Welcome to My World
As a teacher, author and fan. I share my understanding film history in the broader context: How movies are shaped by economics, psychology, technology, society, history, literature, and changing ideas about art and storytelling.
I have spent my life immersed in literature, narrative, and film.
After earning my degree in English from Dartmouth, I began my career working in film production in New York City. I went on to earn a Ph.D. from an interdisciplinary program at Stanford University and joined the Film Department at Vassar College in 1988. In 2009, I was honored to be awarded the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowed Chair.
In 2012, while teaching a senior seminar on American Women Directors, I had a realization: neither the books nor the films of The Lord of the Rings could pass the Bechdel Test. That summer, I grabbed my laptop and began imagining a different kind of world—one that awaited the return of the queen.
I retired from Vassar and returned home to Colorado.
Featured Work:
Shall We Discuss?
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Movies and Society
How do films reflect and affect the times in which they are produced?
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Classical Hollywood
How did the studio system create effervescent works that charmed the world?
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Women and Film
Do movies reinforce or question traditional gender roles?
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Cinematic Techniques
How close analysis reveals the magic behind movie-making
