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It's the Smart Pop Blog!

News, excerpts, Q&As, pop culture recs, and more.

Triumph of The Walking Dead

Smart Pop Classics: Zombie People

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. This week, Brenden Riley explores the complicated nature of personhood in his essay “Zombie People” from Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman’s Zombie Epic on Page and Screen. She’s not your mother anymore.” —Ed, Shaun of the Dead “I don’t… Read more Smart Pop Classics: Zombie People

things we loved this week

Things We Loved This Week #3

In this week’s Things We Loved This Week we share (spoiler alert)…the things we loved! Read on for our pop culture recommendations. Preview of a Bob Ross documentary. We can’t wait for Netflix’s new documentary about the beloved painter and man behind the meme. Bring on the happy little trees! Voting for the Best Hollywood Chris.… Read more Things We Loved This Week #3

Smart Pop Classics: The Girl Who Was on Fire

Smart Pop Classics: The Politics of Mockingjay

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. This week, in her essay “The Politics of Mockingjay” from The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy, Sarah Darer Littman uses her experiences as a political journalist to draw some alarming parallels between… Read more Smart Pop Classics: The Politics of Mockingjay

Things We Loved This Week #2

In this week’s Things We Loved This Week we share (spoiler alert)…the things we loved! Read on for our pop culture recommendations. Set phasers to fun. [NSFW] The Mary Sue shared their thoughts on The Con-a-Sutra and it made us feel warm and fuzzy: “This book isn’t really a guide to get the stereotypical media image… Read more Things We Loved This Week #2