I research consumer culture with a focus on how culture circulates, who/what does the circulating, and why. My primary focus these days is on trends. But I am broadly interested in how things gain and lose popularity; professionals who do the work of cultural circulation (sometimes called cultural intermediaries); popular music; hype and backlash; branding, advertising, marketing, and promotion; the future; and crisis.

I am currently writing a book entitled How Trends Work, forthcoming from University of Chicago Press in 2027 or 2028.

My most recent CV can be found here.

My last book, On Trend (2019), can be found here. It explores the world of trend forecasting, and how the future becomes a commodity.

My most recent article, “What is a Trend” (2025), can be found here. It provides a broad theory of the idea of a trend, drawn from the literature of communication and media studies.