Casey Brienza

This book review written by John A. Lent (formerly of Temple University), world-renowned comics scholar, was among the most glowing 'Manga in America' ever received.

The idea that rock pigeons (read: doves) became domesticated because we used to regard them as sacred? Love it! nytimes.com/2026/05/20/sci…

One of my articles has been republished by the Encyclopædia Britannica. britannica.com/topic/backlist…

An academic colleague sent me a link to your video. Thank you, @study_of_swords, for your thoughtful incorporation of my work into yours! youtube.com/watch?v=M2hUsb…

Two observations about what is implied by this article but not explicitly discussed: 1) A return to liberal arts education? 2) Feminized labor! nytimes.com/2026/04/15/bus…

Bread and roses. nytimes.com/2026/04/06/opi…

We help to heal ourselves when we give others what we have needed.

Structure vs. agency (arguing for greater attention to structures), using psychobabble/influencer jargon. nytimes.com/2026/04/05/opi…

Linkblogged here: tcj.com/voyage-dans-la…

My review of 'Manga’s First Century: How Creators and Fans Made Japanese Comics, 1905–1989' by Andrea Horbinski for Pacific Affairs tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

Protip: Do not tell an author **to their face** that you've pirated their book.

This was my first time seeing so many imported manga being sold at a sale of this kind before--felt like a real transnational cultural milestone!

Just stopped by a random moving sale offloading a huuuuuge collection of manga imported from Japan. Nothing particularly old, out-of-print, or valuable, but the bulk of the books clearly dated back to the first manga boom (~2007).

Doesn't doctoring a photo to make a blank-faced woman look like she's crying make her *more* sympathetic? IMO, the ghouls in the White House probably think the sight of her suffering is *pleasurable*. Defaming her was just a bonus. nytimes.com/2026/02/03/us/…

How much longer before "Independent Scholar" (read: unaffiliated) becomes a mark of honor and integrity instead of just a euphemism for joblessness?

"Sociology faculty at Florida International University are outraged that their department is requiring them to use a state-approved textbook to teach an introductory course as part of the university’s general education curriculum." insidehighered.com/news/faculty-i…

This holiday gift-giving guide recommends my book, 'Manga in America.' Wild. alibaba.com/product-insigh…

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams #Bestof2025 Gripping and fantastically written story of what happens when ordinarily venal people are given extraordinary power.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong #Bestof2025 A quirky yet exquisitely readable story that makes “the other” emphatically one of us.

Inequalities of Platform Publishing by Claire Parnell #Bestof2025 If the findings at times seemed predetermined, well, the story Parnell tells is no less urgent.

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan #Bestof2025 Critics who say it's his best book in years aren't lying. Gorgeous, layered, reminiscent of the best parts of Atonement.