Writing
Book: Ugh! As If!
My first book is a work of cultural criticism on the classic teen film Clueless (1995). Order a copy at your local independent book store or direct from the publisher, ECW. This book is my baby! Emily Nussbaum said it was “lively and original…playful and deep”! I got to be on eTalk in a feature led by Lainey Liu! What a dream come true!
From the publisher:
A sweet and sly exploration of the Jane Austen–inspired teen movie and its evergreen imperative to be kind, do better, and find the activist within.
We are totally butt-crazy in love with Clueless. Since the movie’s premiere in 1995, pop culture has mined Amy Heckerling’s high school comedy for inspiration, from Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX’s “Fancy” music video to Cher’s iconic yellow plaid suit appearing at every Halloween party.
In Ugh! As If!, Veronica Litt argues that this seemingly fluffy teen romp is the quintessential thinking woman’s movie, one in which the audience is asked to seriously consider the beauty and power of naïveté. Cher Horowitz’s gradual pivot from oblivious it girl to burgeoning activist is a powerful reminder that even the most unlikely people can change for the better and contribute to their communities. In this bright, shiny film, pursuing a more just society isn’t just possible — it’s enjoyable. This fun, feminine, feel-good movie is a counter-narrative to nihilism, a refusal to give into cynicism, hopelessness, and passivity. Almost without viewers noticing, Clueless teaches Cher, and us, how to become better. Like the film it examines, Ugh! As If! nudges even the most jaded viewer into feeling hopeful about the future.
Praise for Ugh! As If!
“Litt’s lively, original Ugh! As If! uses the brilliant teen movie Clueless as a lens to examine the broader cultural landscape with playfulness and depth.” — Emily Nussbaum, Pulitzer Prize winner, The New Yorker columnist, and author of I Like to Watch and Cue the Sun!
“Ugh! As If! makes a powerful argument for why we should keep inviting Amy Heckerling’s film into our lives, and it reminds us of comedy’s awesome power to connect us.” — Deidre Lynch, Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature at Harvard University and author of The Economy of Character and Loving Literature: A Cultural History
“Litt gives Clueless the intellectual importance it deserves, adding it to the canon of timeless women-led pictures.” — Marlowe Granados, author of Happy Hour
“Just like Clueless, Ugh! As If! is an unabashed celebration of all things girly, bubbly, and bright. If you’ve been feeling jaded about the state of the world, this sweet, smart, and funny book is exactly what you need.” — Hannah McGregor, Associate Professor of Publishing at Simon Fraser University, host of Material Girls and Witch Please, and author of A Sentimental Education and Clever Girl
“Detailed and always insightful…The vibe is that of your coolest professor, with chatty, entertaining footnotes full of personal disclosures and theoretical reading lists…Litt’s loving analysis of the film is a shining example of how to bring Cher’s soul into the study of art and culture.” — Annie Berke, Defector
“Veronica Litt, using Clueless as her campy, colourful vessel, encourages us to love the art that moves us, to interrogate our notions of complacency and ignorance and, most importantly, to tell us not to give up the fight, whether it be on a global scale or confined to the halls of high school chaos.” — Honora Quinn, Mount Holyoke News
Press for Ugh! As If!
News and Excerpts
“A Ditz with a Credit Card: Innocence and Ignorance.” All Lit Up. July 18, 2025.
“Gilbert Speaks to Veronica Litt About Her Book ‘Ugh! As If! Clueless.’”. Biff Bam Pop. July 17, 2025.
“Why We’re All Still Obsessed with Clueless.” Friday Things. July 11, 2025.
“Celebrating a Book Release and New Research with Dr. Veronica Litt.” CBU Newsroom. July 2, 2025.
“Clueless is 30–As If! Here’s Why It’s Still a Totally Important Movie.” The Kit. June 12, 2025.
“Clueless is 30–as if!–but what this totally important movie did for girly art is forever.” The Toronto Star. June 4, 2025.
“Iconic Movie Inspires Cape Breton Writer to take “Girly Art” Seriously in New Book.” CTV News. May 31, 2025.
Podcasts
“Veronica Litt, “Ugh! As If!: Clueless (ECW Press, 2025).” New Books Network. July 16, 2025.
“Clueless.” History of the 90s. June 25, 2025.
“SKYLIT: Veronica Litt, UGH! AS IF! CLUELESS.” Skylight Books Podcast. June 12, 2025.
“Veronica Litt on Clueless, the Enduring Appeal of Paul Rudd, and the Power of Girly Media.” On the Shelf with Honora Quinn. June 1, 2025.
“Terminator 3: Terminator? I Barely Know’er!” The Juiciest Bits. May 31, 2025.
“Veronica Litt on the Cultural, and Lasting, Impact of Clueless.” Adult Education with Jeff St. Pierre. May 30, 2025.
Radio
“Why does ‘like’ bother us so much?” The Colin McEnroe Show. Connecticut Public Radio/WNPR. August 20, 2025.
“30 years on and you’re not majorly, totally, butt-crazy in love with Clueless? As if!” Day 6. CBC Radio (National). July 18, 2025.
Information Morning Halifax. CBC Radio 90.5 FM. June 5, 2025.
Dialogue. The Coast Radio 89.7 FM. May 18, 2025.
Reviews
“‘Ugh! As If!’ Takes On The Enduring Appeal Of ‘Clueless.’” Defector. July 25, 2025.
“Ugh! As If! Clueless” is a Fantastic Literary Exploration of a Superb Movie.” The Newest Rant. June 3, 2025.
“Ugh As If!”: New book tackles the ‘female gaze’ and Clueless.” Mount Holyoke News. February 10, 2025.
Television
“Why We Still Can’t Get Enough of Clueless.” eTalk. July 30, 2025.
“Ugh! As If! A Book on the Impact of Clueless 30 Years Later.” CTV Your Morning. July 23, 2025.
“Veronica Litt discusses Ugh! As If! Clueless.” CTV News Atlantic. May 29, 2025.
Events for Ugh! As If!
Screenings
“Clueless 30th Anniversary with Veronica Litt.” The Paradise Theater. Toronto, Ontario. July 24, 2025.
“Clueless 30th Anniversary with Veronica Litt and Whitney McMeekin.” The Playhouse Theater. Hamilton, Ontario. July 22, 2025.
Talks
“Ugh! As If! Celebrating Clueless.” The Jane Austen House Museum. Virtual Talk. July 20, 2025.
Articles and Essays
Sometimes I write short essays. Here are links to a few on music videos set in the eighteenth century, letterpress printing, muumuus, villains, Tristram Shandy, and real-time stories.
Image Credit: “Old Maids at a Cat’s Funeral.” Courtesy of the Lewis Walpole Library Digital Assets Collection.