Dear Readers,
Welcome to the first issue of SUNY Cortland’s new journal of literary and cultural criticism, Emblaze! After weeks of considering what to name our journal, we decided to reference our beloved red dragon mascot, Blaze. But ‘emblaze’ also means to illuminate (especially by setting a fire) and to adorn something (usually luxuriously). As a journal, we want to ignite interest and discussion surrounding literary and cultural texts (poems, novels, films, television shows, and TikTok trends) and how they fit into the “here and now” of our social and political moment. In doing this, we hope to Emblaze new discourse, sparking conversation with you: our readers and fellow members of the Cortland community. Even when the topics we discuss aren’t luxurious or magnificent in and of themselves, we hope that our articles shed light on them in an engaging way.
Whether you know it or not, you engage with cultural criticism every day. Your initial reaction to the word criticism may involve subjective value judgments (good vs. bad) or correcting errors; however, the type of criticism we are involved in is different. Every time you analyze, theorize, or interpret a text or a piece of media, you are actively taking part in criticism. This can include the books you read, shows and movies you watch, and even the trends you see on social media.
In light of President Trump cutting funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, our journal strives to keep the humanities alive and relevant. The humanities include the study of history, philosophy, religion, modern and ancient languages and literatures, fine and performing arts, media and cultural studies, and other fields. Basically, the humanities are what makes us us. With Trump limiting the money going out to places meant to keep these alive– places like libraries and museums, and programs like music education events and summer teacher institutes– they might disappear completely. We hope for Emblaze to serve as our way to keep conversations about and within the humanities active and meaningful. We hope to keep people interested in and willing to fight for what’s being taken away. Through Emblaze, we intend to ignite a blaze of literary and cultural analysis that won’t ever go out.
Our first issue has articles that analyze TV shows, movies, and even music. To give just a few examples, one article examines the satirical music of the Satanic-themed band Ghost; another looks at feminism in Barbie (and whether the film keeps up with the feminist topics of the current times); and yet another analyzes Grease’s portrayal of fashion, identity, and gender. Within this first issue we hope that you, our audience, find something to identify with in the content you read and that it encourages you to submit your own interpretations for future issues to come! Emblaze is all inclusive- meaning any student at SUNY Cortland can submit to our journal regardless of program, and all kinds of media are welcome. So, next time you read a book, or watch a show that kindles your interest, feel inspired to share those ideas with the broader Cortland community here with Emblaze!
Sincerely,
Your Editors: Liz Hickis, Aether Sickles, Bella Retter