Melissa Vosen Callens, associate professor of practice in communication, has written a new book titled “Ode to Gen X: Institutional Cynicism in ‘Stranger Things’ and 1980s Film,” published by University Press of Mississippi.

The 198-page book contains a comprehensive study of cynicism in popular 1980s movies reflected in the television series “Stranger Things.” Vosen Callens examines the parallels between iconic films featuring children and teenagers and the first three seasons of the television series about a group of young friends set in Indiana during the 1980s.

“Melissa Vosen Callens’ analysis is spot on, capturing elements of ‘Stranger Things’ that seemingly pass by in the show unremarked but that reflect the lived experiences of Gen X then and since. Eminently readable and thoroughly enjoyable, it is a model for how pop culture scholarship should be done,” said Kevin Wetmore, professor and chair of theatre arts at Loyola Marymount University, in a review.

Vosen Callens earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at NDSU. Her research focuses on popular culture and pedagogy. Her work has appeared in such publications as Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy, English Journal, Communication Teacher and A Sense of Community: Essays on the Television Series and Its Fandom.

For more information on the book or for review copies, contact Courtney McCreary at cmccreary@mississippi.edu or 601-432-6205.

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