TJ West

Hot Take: How the Democrats Can Win Big in 2018 (and Maybe 2020)–“Dignity”

In his opinion for the majority in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, Anthony Kennedy wrote of those…
World Building (15): The Duchy of Ioliérs

Historically, the Duchy of Ioliérs has existed in a somewhat contentious relationship with its neighbors to…
Queer Classics: The Agony and the Ecstasy of “Call Me By Your Name” (2017)

Warning. Spoilers for the film follow. Call Me By Your Name opens with a series of snapshots…
World Building (14): On Aspaña

The dukedom of Aspaña is known as one of the primary agricultural regions of the Imperium.…
World Building (13): The Anukathi

West of the continent of Aridikh (on which the Imperium, Korray, and Haranshar) are located, lies…
Reading History: “The Last Tudor” (Philippa Gregory)

I’ve been reading Philippa Gregory’s books since around 2005, when I picked up The Other Boleyn Girl. I…
Character Sketch: Talinissia

To understand Talinissia, it is important to understand her complicated family history. Her father Kleophanes IV…
Weekly Rant: The Case for Education

The Atlantic, that bastion of American ideas and intelligence, recently published an article by Bryan Caplan, a…
Reading The Wheel of Time: “Crossroads of Twilight” (Book 10)

Ugh. What to say about this book? While it is entertaining as far as it goes,…
Film Review: “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” Reveals a Broken America

For quite a while after I watched Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, I couldn’t quite figure out how…