Latest writing:
In Defense of Jo Rowling is an essay I wrote in early 2012. Deciding to try a change of pace and be positive, I decided to address the common complaints many fans have about CAPS!Harry in Book 5 and the seemingly endless camping trip in Book 7.
In summer 2012, I wrote a three-part series of editorials titled "Did Umbridge Have a Point?", detailing everything that made Hogwarts such an appalling school. Because the truth of the matter is, that while Umbridge is pure evil, some of her ideas were not bad ones (even if they were executed rather poorly).
Part 1: Dumbledore's Giant Mistake lists all the reasons why Hagrid is my least favorite character in the series, and why he is the singularly WORST teacher in all of Hogwarts.
Part 2: The Other Professors tackles all of the other dreadful professors Dumbledore has hired based on everything except pedagogical merit. Trelawney, Firenze, Slughorn, and even Filch all come under scrutiny. (The DADA professors are excepted because of the limited applicant pool, and Snape is tackled under the Snape essays).
Part 3: Punishment and Safety looks beyond the professors at the myriad other problems at Hogwarts, focusing on the wildly inconsistent discipline and wildly ineffectual security.
In early 2013, I wrote an epic three-part series examining the theme of revenge in the Harry Potter series. It was published on MuggleNet in March 2013.
Revenge Part I: The Missing Message discusses how the theme of revenge is noticeably absent from the Harry Potter series, with none of the characters really getting to satisfy their personal vendettas.
Revenge Part II: Hermione's Revenge examines the sole exception who does get to fulfill personal vendettas: Hermione. I talk about why this is, and the consequences of Hermione's revenge.
Revenge Part III: Harry's Mercy highlights the contrast between Hermione getting her revenge and Harry showing mercy, and tries to deduce what Jo Rowling's ultimate message is.
Is HP a Feminist Text? is a very lengthy and in-depth look at feminism (or lack thereof) in the series. Written in summer 2013.
The Cursed Canon Conundrum outlines the issues the Potter fandom had with figuring out the place of Cursed Child in the canon. I take a step back to outline the arguments, before contributing my two cents at the end (it's a hot mess and not canon). Written in August 2016.
The Final Straw is my response to Jo and Pottermore selling e-books of their content... and I am not pleased. Written in August 2016.
The Fallen Fathers of Goblet of Fire examines the theme in Book 4 of fathers being unusually powerless. Written in June 2018 and initially published over at Hypable. Edited and republished at the Lexicon in September 2025.
When the Crimes of Grindelwald trailer came out in September 2018 and dropped the reveal that Nagini used to be a human, I went into HP theorizing overdrive, posting essays that went viral and prompted comments to the effect of "It feels like 2006!"
Nagini and Voldemort's Twisted Relationship goes into the most gruesome aspects of the Potterverse - not for the faint of heart!
Nagini and Dumbledore's Connection examines the all-important question of whether Dumbledore knew of Nagini's backstory during the HP series.
Heliopaths, Fiendfyre, and a Cassandra Complex develops the theory that Luna's heliopaths and Fiendfyre were originally intended to be one and the same. Written in January 2019.
Draco and Some Naughty Little Plans considers all the plans of Lucius's and Tom Riddle's that were afoot in Chamber of Secrets, and how Draco interfered. Written in February 2019.
What If There Weren’t a Parting of the Ways? considers the hypothetical scenario where Fudge heeded Dumbledore after Voldemort's return. Written in February 2020.
Roderick Roach and The Lightning-Struck Tower combined all my favorite essay topics in one: Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore, Half-Blood Prince, The Ickabog, and Machiavelli's The Prince. First I analyze the redemption of Roderick Roach and Draco Malfoy, then compare Lord Voldemort and Lord Spittleworth's leadership styles with the teachings of Machiavelli. Written in June 2020.
Alivening “Harry Potter” Through “The Christmas Pig” compares the concepts found in The Christmas Pig, such as objects alivening and their worth being independent of how valuable they they, with similar concepts explored in HP . Written in November 2021.
Making Plans with the Hogwarts Houses looks at how members of different Hogwarts Houses go about making plans. Written in May 2022.
In summer 2022, I published a series of long-gestating articles about how prophecies work and how events could have played out differently in the war against Voldemort - written in May 2022.
The Boy Must Die games out what would have happened if Snape had never told Harry about the need to sacrifice himself in the war against Voldemort - and why that was the most crucial thing Snape did in Vold War II.
Severus Snape and the Chosen Ones addresses the perennial question of what would have happened if Voldemort had attacked Neville instead of Harry, and the myriad ways Harry's "Chosen One" status may have been derailed.
The Point of the Prophecy dives deep into how prophecies are issued, and why they are issued, with an emphasis on Trelawney's second prophecy.
The Scoop on Rita Skeeter analyzes the veracity of Rita Skeeter's writing, to determine whether there is truth hidden amid all the malicious gossip. Written December 2022.
The Russian Philosopher's Stone is a deep dive into the Russian translation of the first HP book, pointing out the good, the bad, and the subtle differences. Written August 2024.