The Essential Cult TV Reader (University Press of Kentucky, Jan. 2010). I wrote the chapter on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff series Angel. The Great Snape Debate The Great Snape Debate (BenBella/Borders, April 2007)  looks at the pivotal role of Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, and speculates on his true allegiance. Is he a friend or foe to Harry? What part will he play in the series' final book?  The Great Snape Debate, co-authored by Joyce Millman, Orson Scott Card and Amy Brenner, presents arguments from both sides of the "Trust Snape?" debate.  The Great Snape Debate is available exclusively in Borders and Waldenbooks stores. The chapters I wrote for The Great Snape Debate are: "In Defense of Snape" (the central "pro-Snape" argument), "Snape the Hero," "Snape the Villain," "The Top 10 Reasons Why We Love Snape," "The Top 10 Reasons Why We Love to Hate Snape," "What's on Snape's iPod?," "Why is Snape's Hair So Greasy?," "Why Was Snape Wearing Graying Underpants?," "What Do Snape's Boggart and Patronus Look Like?," "Has Snape Ever Loved Anyone?," "What Is Snape's Secret Vice?," and "A Perverseness for Soups: Fun with Anagrams."   SmartPop SmartPop is an imprint of the Dallas publisher BenBella Books. I have contributed the following original essays to SmartPop anthologies. All of these books can be purchased from the SmartPop website and Amazon.com. "The Sidekick" from House Unauthorized: Vasculitis, Clinic Duty and Bad Bedside Manner (edited by Leah Wilson, 2007).  Why does Wilson put up with House's abuse?  Is it masochism, a man-crush or a bad case of Sidekick Syndrome? "Daddy's Girl" from Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations Into Veronica Mars (edited by Rob Thomas, 2007).  Loving dad Keith Mars is going to be a tough act to follow when Veronica goes looking for a mate. "Game Theory"  from Getting Lost:  Survival, Baggage and Starting Over in J.J. Abrams' Lost (edited by Orson Scott Card, 2006).  What if the castaways were trapped inside a big video game?  Read more about Getting Lost  (including quotes from yours truly) in this USA Today article.  You can hear my interview about "Game Theory"  on the October 1, 2006 edition of the public radio show "To the Best of Our Knowledge" here.  "To Sir, with Love:  How Fan Fiction Transformed Professor Snape from a Greasy Git to a Byronic Hero ... Who's Really, Really into S/M"  from Mapping the World of Harry Potter (edited by Mercedes Lackey, 2006).  Not for the faint of heart. This essay can be downloaded as part of the free PDF sampler The Best of SmartPop Volume 2 here.  "Pride and Prejudice: The Reality Show"  from Flirting with Pride & Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece (edited by Jennifer Crusie, 2005).  In which Jane Austen's classic is played out in front of the reality TV cameras, with Ryan Seacrest as host. "Pieces of Sydney:  Espionage, Female Identity and the Secret Self in Alias"  from Alias Assumed:  Sex, Lies and SD-6 (edited by Kevin Weisman, 2005). This essay is available for free download in the PDF sampler The Best of SmartPop Volume 1 here. Mothers Who Think "Toy Story" and "2-4-6-8, I'm the one they appreciate" from Mothers Who Think: Tales of Real Life Parenthood (edited by Camille Peri and Kate Moses, Washington Square Press, 2000). Two first-person essays about being a mom, written for the "Mothers Who Think" section of Salon.com.