TJ West

The New “Aladdin” Looks Like Trash: A Screed

The 1992 Aladdin was the first Disney film I well and truly fell in love with in…
Novel Thoughts: On Finishing and Revising a Rough Draft

Well, since it’s been a while since I’ve checked in on the status of the novel,…
Weekly Rant: Barbara Ehrenreich, et al. and the Banality of Racism

Ugh. Some days. I didn’t start Monday thinking that I was going to be struggling with…
Book Review: The Frustrating Pleasures of “Fire and Blood” (by George R.R. Martin)

Let me preface this review by saying how frustrated I am by this book’s publication history.…
Screening History: Mary, Queen of Scots (2018)

For some time now I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of the newest film to focus…
Screening History: The Fraught Pathos of “The Favourite” (2018)

If you know anything about it me, it’s that I’m an absolute sucker for a good…
Film Review: Surrendering to Feeling in “A Star is Born” (2018)

Warning: Substantial spoilers for the film follow. I went into the most recent version of A Star…
Book Review: “Beren and Luthien” (by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Anyone who’s ever read anything about Tolkien knows the story of Luthien, the tale of an…
What Tolkien Taught Me About Writing

As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows, I am both a fan of…
The Pleasures of Re-Reading “The Lord of the Rings”

Much as I love reading (and books), there are very few works that I read more…