It Started In Detroit
Born and raised in Detroit, a city where creativity and hustle coexist—I found solace in the library on 7 Mile & Chase and the Blockbuster on 7 Mile & Coyle. Both are places where I escaped into books and film.
Years later, I transformed my passion for pop culture into a career as a culture writer. My work blends personal narratives with film critique, delving beyond judgment to explore the deeper connections between cinema and myself.
In 2018, I began writing for publications like Bustle, HelloGiggles, and BITCH, sharing personal stories as a Black Queer woman. In 2019, I joined the team at Autostraddle as a staff writer where I further explored television and film through that same lens.
My writing started to garner more attention as Vogue, Architectural Digest, Thrillist, Netflix Queue, Roger Ebert, and others reached out for my criticism and voice in their publications.
In 2021, I became Autostraddle's first Culture Editor. Within two years, Black and QTPOC readership grew by over 60% because of my efforts. I also curated popular-themed content, facilitated collaborations with film festivals, and worked with many QTPOC writers on their first of many bylines.
This work later translated into Rotten Tomatoes selecting me for their inaugural Emerging Critics Grant in 2022, becoming a verified critic on The Cherrypicks, and an invitation to become part of the Press Inclusion Initiative for Sundance Film Festival in 2023 and 2024—cementing my place as a go-to voice in inclusive film criticism.
When my role at Autostraddle was dissolved in 2023, I launched Hi Shelli!, my popular bi-weekly Pop Culture newsletter. In its first year, it collaborated with guest writers, covered major film festivals, conducted celebrity interviews, and gained accreditation on The Cherrypicks.
My love of pop culture, writing, and connection has taken this little girl from Detroit a long way, and it’s all just beginning.