She received a BA and MA at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and has taught at USC, University of California, University of Texas, and in England. She has contributed to Film and History, Film Noir: The Directors, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Literature/Film Quarterly, Film Noir: The Encyclopedia, Gangster Film Reader, Film Noir Reader 4, Popular Culture Review, The Historian, Television and Television History, and edited The Velvet Light Trap.