Ethan Gilsdorf is a writer, teacher, performer, and the author of the memoir Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Wired, Salon, O the Oprah Magazine, Brevity, Electric Literature, Poetry, The Southern Review, among other publications, and named "Notable" by "The Best American Essays". He teaches workshops in essay, creative nonfiction and memoir at GrubStreet in Boston, where he leads the Essay Incubator program; at LitArts RI; and he is also on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program at Lasell University. He also teaches people how to play Dungeons & Dragons.
Recently published
50 years on, 'Rocky Horror' is still for us freaks and geeks
I was a shy, insecure teen when I saw "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for the first time, writes Ethan Gilsdorf. The cult film, which turns 50 this year, gave...
My mom, Julia Child and me
Ethan Gilsdorf's sister recently gave him their mother's beat-up copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking." I had not laid eyes on the book in decades — at least...
D&D turns 50 this year. Gather round the Dungeon Master's table
Fifty years ago, Dungeons & Dragons was considered Satanic. Today it's embraced by educators and child development experts. Ethan Gilsdorf explains the evolution.
The cell phone turned 50 this year. To celebrate, I’d like to be a little less connected
Cell phones are always with us. But some days, I just want to lose myself in nature or allow my brain to run deep, writes Ethan Gilsdorf.
A connection with a stranger reminded me how to play
For once, I am not focused on my journey to come or any of my usual worries. I'm simply finding hope and pleasure in this wordless form of connection, writes...
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NASA crashed into an asteroid! Nerds like me are in heaven
We've been dreaming about blasting space rocks from the sky for decades, writes Ethan Gilsdorf. Sci-fi and reality have truly collided.
Watching the Red Sox. Looking for my mom
America’s favorite pastime is personal, and tinged with nostalgia. For me, writes Ethan Gilsdorf, baseball is inexorably linked to my late mother.
In the '70s, the 'Zoom' kids were my people
The kids on "Zoom," which came to television 50 years ago, weren’t actors, writes Ethan Gilsdorf. They were real, like me.
Why '80s Nostalgia Endures
A new three day (and night) festival in Rhode Island is betting that the new interest in '80s culture is not only about nostalgia, but also about an emerging culture...
Here's Where A Clever But Sarcastic Headline For Our Review Of 'Deadpool 2' Goes
The original comic book character from 1991 was known for breaking the fourth wall. In the hands of Hollywood, Deadpool’s meta-referencing becomes an art form, writes critic Ethan Gilsdorf.