Hello! I’m Anika AKA Pixie

I am an academic, advocate, and mentor. I write a newsletter about the intersections of pop culture and mental health. There is always a reason I am drawn to a character or story, and I am always interested in those reasons. My writing is about the ways TV, movies, and other pop culture reflect and reshape their audience and our society. I am especially interested in the portrayal of mental illness and healthcare in the mainstream.

My educational background is in the arts, social sciences, and feminist studies.

Please browse my selected writing, speaking engagements, television recaps, and fashion posts for additional examples of my work.

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Contact Me: anika@manicpixiedust.com

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to chat about an opportunity. You can also find me on Bluesky and Instagram.

“MA” means I went to school for a total of 21 years. I attended 12 years of public education, 4 years at Brandeis University for my BA, and 5 years at Wesleyan University for my Master’s degree (part time because I’m a working single mom).

“LS” stands for “Liberal Studies” and means I designed my own program of study. I focus on the intersections of pop culture and mental health, so my concentration was Social Sciences. I completed the degree in 2019, however, I continue to take courses related to my interests.

I include: film, television, streaming video, novels, poetry, graphic novels and comics, animation, theater, dance, music, visual arts, fashion, memes, toys and collectibles, social media, food and drink, sports, video games, architecture, amusement parks, pets.

I am a cisgender woman in my forties. I live in the same small New England suburban city/college town I grew up in and work for the same college my father worked for. Politically I’m a leftist, a bohemian revolutionary or anarcho-communist. I am panromantic asexual but mainly attracted to fictional characters. I am spiritual but not religious. I am neurodivergent with a history of anxiety and a diagnosis of Borderline and Histrionic Personality Disorder.

It refers to the ‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’ trope, which I self-identify as, and to Tinker Bell, the fairy of Peter Pan and Disneyland fame.

Please feel free to contact me on bluesky or email: anika@manicpixiedust.com.