The Feminine in Nerd Spaces

Not just “girls,” but all feminine people and ideas have complicated relationships with the stereotypically male hobbies of anime and video games. “Feminine” can also be a shortened way to refer to any aspects of (pop) culture, fashion, lifestyle, etc.—the nerd can also be involved in the feminine. My specialty aims to explore the relationship between “feminine” and “nerd” in all its facets.

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Written works

  • You're not crazy: Anime really did get more popular after COVID

    Anime expanded its domain post-COVID. From the Americas to India, this piece takes a look into how this shift affected fandoms around the world.

    (August 2026, reported essay)

    Read here

  • Getting Weird Together: Finding Friendship, Identity, and a Place to Belong Through Anime and Cosplay

    Las Vegas rapidly establishes itself as the next anime destination with popular conventions like Lvl Up Expo, but there’s more to Vegas’ anime scene. Dive in for a complete view of the community with cupsleeves, fan service events, and even a cosplay school. [Full disclosure: AI was used in the editing process to assist with brevity to ensure a smoother reading experience.]

    (July 2026, feature)

    Print only

  • Why I Identify as a Gamer, Even Though I Play “Girlie Games”

    I write about the complicated history I have with the term “girl gamer,” and how I eventually came to embrace it for myself.

    (December 2025, personal essay)

    Read here

  • Cosplay to Couture: How Steff Von Schweetz Brought Anime Chic from Screen to Vegas Streets

    Stephanie, who goes by Steff online, is a professional sewist and cosplayer. The word “cosplay” is a portmanteau of “costume play,” where artists dress as characters from various media. They have taken it much further than simple dress-up and roleplay—it’s now a career for them, beyond cosplay and into the realm of fashion design itself.

    (October 2024, profile)

    Read here

  • A Lifelong Companion

    I write about a stable presence in my life that has supported me through all of my trials and tribulations… anime.

    (August 2025, personal essay)

    Read the issue

Notable publications

i-candy zine

i-candy is the sweetest indie mag highlighting the fiction and nonfiction work of women and queer people.

I’m currently an editor with them starting July 2026 where I helped edit pieces for their inaugural issue (fall 2026 release) and blog, plus wrote some pieces myself for the blog.

Kyuu Studios

Kyuu is a youth-run publication fighting the wave of anti-intellectualism online with analytical essays and commentary on all-things pop culture. They publish monthly magazine issues on top of a frequently-updated Substack.

I was a content writer for them from July to September 2026 where I wrote full-length articles and interviews and created graphics pieces.