In this piece, Guest Writer B. Iman touches on the interweaving of fantasy and romance, and its fruition (or lack thereof) in the modern world. Read more now!

In this essay, Guest Writer Ash Mojica explores how the fantasy subgenre Isekai—defined by an everyday protagonist transitioning into a fantastical alternate world—has deep roots in manga, anime and classic female-led stories like Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. In these narratives, the physical journey between realms serves as a metaphor for the transitional phase of girlhood, placing young heroines at the center of monumental adventures. Read more now!

In this essay, DWG founder Daphne Bryant touches on Gen Z’s obsession with the casual label and how, while it allows for freedom and much needed me-time, it may be stopping some of us from experiencing a fairytale romance. Read more now!

In this essay, Guest Writer Cece Blythe reflects on Barbie: Princess Charm School, arguing that while the film inspired young viewers with its message that confidence and character matter more than status, a rewatch reveals underlying themes of class inequality, privilege, nepotism, and power, exposing the inequalities embedded within the very systems Barbie romanticizes. Read more now!

In this essay, guest writer Gabi Mitchell explores her personal struggle to reconcile a deep love for high fantasy with her identity as a bubbly and feminine sorority girl, highlighting the unfair gatekeeping and sexism in nerd culture that keeps so many from being their truest selves. Read more now!

In this essay, Guest Writer Isabella Grecco touches on the TV show Once Upon a Time and how it utilizes multiplicitous self, time-hopping and portals to illustrate how the past shapes the present, and that many things can be true at once. Read more now!