WRITING BY JORDAN LAUF
My work as a writer has focused mainly on entertainment coverage, critique, and commentary, often through a feminist lens. I have also conducted interviews and written pieces regarding crime and criminal cases. My style is colloquial but intellectual. I am currently a shift writer for the entertainment section of Bustle, and the Arts and Culture editor for the Tufts Observer, as well as being a full-time student at Tufts University. Please find a selection of my work below, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
PASSING IT DOWN: THE CHALLENGES OF PRESERVING INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY AS A STUDENT ACTIVIST GROUP
​
PUBLISHED IN THE TUFTS OBSERVER
February 5th, 2018
This piece examines the challenges of student activism on Tufts University campus.
FOR NEV SCHULMAN, 'CATFISH' IS A SHOW ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT THE INTERNET
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
January, 2018
I spoke with Catfish host Nev Schulman about the ways in which his show is more concerned with mental health than it is with internet dating.
7TH INNING STRETCH
March, 2018
A piece of flash fiction published in the Literary Issue of the Tufts Observer
THE ONLY NON-WHITE JUROR ON THE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN CASE SAYS RACE DIDN'T AFFECT HER DECISION
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
July, 2017
I had the opportunity to interview the only non-white juror on the George Zimmerman case, Maddy Rivera, at a panel for The Jury Speaks, a true crime series for Oxygen.
.jpg)
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 7 IS FEMINIST, BUT ONLY FOR ONE KIND OF WOMAN
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
July 2017
This is an analytical essay examining the ways in which norms of traditional masculinity are celebrated in the female characters of Game of Thrones.
JENNY SLATE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HER DIRECTOR'S GENDER, AS LONG AS THEY HONOR WOMEN'S HUMANITY
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
June 2017
I attended the red carpet for the premiere of Jenny Slate's recent film Landline, and conducted exclusive interviews with Slate, actress Edie Falco, and director Gillian Robespierre.
THESE NATALEE HOLLOWAY 2017 UPDATES MAY BRING THE JUSTICE SHE DESERVES
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
August 2017
I interviewed Natalee Holloway's father, Dave Holloway, and the family's private investigator, T.J. Ward, regarding new human remains that had been found in connection to the case.
.jpg)
WHY 'GAME OF THRONES' SEASON 7 CAN'T ABSOLVE THE SHOW'S PAST SINS AGAINST WOMEN
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
August 2017
A long-form essay regarding the history of the portrayal of women in Game of Thrones.
HOW 'COLD JUSTICE' TAKES THE TRUE CRIME GENRE ONE STEP FURTHER
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
August 2017
I had the opportunity to conduct a phone interview with Kelly Siegler, veteran prosecutor and star of Oxygen's series Cold Justice.
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S DEFENSE TEAM DIDN'T USE "STAND YOUR GROUND," BUT IT IMPACTED THE TRIAL ANYWAY
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
July 2017
This piece addresses the issue of the controversial "Stand Your Ground" law in relation to the George Zimmerman trial, and includes quotes from my interview with juror Maddy Rivera.
DISNEY CHANNEL'S 'DESCENDANTS 2' ALLOWS GIRLS TO BE HEROES, VILLAINS & OFTEN, BOTH
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
​
July 2017
I had the opportunity to attend a private screening of the Disney Channel film Descendants 2 and published this review and feminist critique in Bustle.
SHOULD FANS KEEP WATCHING 'THE 'BACHELOR' FRANCHISE AFTER THE 'BACHELOR IN PARADISE' NEWS?
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
June 2017
This is an opinion-style essay regarding the implications of the Bachelor in Paradise production shut-down.
WHY ONLY SAM CAN TELL JON SNOW ABOUT HIS PARENTS IN 'GAME OF THRONES' SEASON 8, SAYS JOHN BRADLEY
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
November, 2018
I had the opportunity to speak with actor John Bradley (Game of Thrones ) about his role on the show and his expectations for Season 7.
UNCOVERING THE MADWOMAN
​
PUBLISHED IN THE TUFTS OBSERVER
December, 2015
An examination of how female mental illness is portrayed in film.
COULD MAURA MURRAY BE FOUND IN 2017? THE HOSTS OF OXYGEN'S SERIES ARE HOPEFUL THAT ANSWERS ARE COMING
​
PUBLISHED IN BUSTLE
September, 2017
I interviewed the duo working to reinvestigate the Maura Murray case, Maggie Freleng and Art Roderick, about their hope for the future of the case.
SILENCE QUITE THIS LOUD
​
PUBLISHED IN THE TUFTS OBSERVER
September, 2017
This piece tackles the idea of what it means to be an apolitical artist in 2017, with a particular focus on Taylor Swift.
CONTACT
Thank you for reviewing my Portfolio. Please get in touch to find out more.
