(... and there's a picture of a train on it! The Simpsons formed a deep and lasting impression on my young psyche.)
Hi there! I finished a Ph.D. in English Lit last summer, and now have a visiting faculty position at the same school (exceedingly glad I don't have to say goodbye to Widener yet!). I work on late-medieval devotional translation in England, stemming from my interests in mysticism and Middle English. Luckily I get to teach all kinds of medieval and Early Modern literature, and I've written about music and art history a bit too. I like to translate medieval lit, although I've only done a couple things on that front so far. German and Dutch literature are also pretty important to me, especially the medieval mystical tradition.
Geographically: I grew up in Connecticut, went to boarding school in western Mass, was an undergrad in Chicago, then lived in Glasgow, Cologne, and Japan for four years before heading back to the States for grad school. I've lived between Union and Inman for the past 5 years, except when I was in Florence and Oxford and Antwerp; I'm pretty sure it's one of the best neighborhoods to be found. Davis is tempting, though!
I've been lucky enough to travel to several dozen countries in the past decade or so. My favorite places I've travelled have been Malaysia (esp Malaysian Borneo) and South Africa/Namibia. Although I think Berlin is the best place I've ever lived -- but then, it also has the rosy glow of the semester abroad (and three operahouses). But every time I think I discover the prettiest corner of Italy, I always come across something even more charming or stunning. And caffe corretto with anisette has few peers.
I also adore long hikes: I've done the Camino de Santiago (500 miles-worth, starting at St Jean Pied-de-Port), the John Muir Trail, and 10 days in the Ladakhi Himalayas, and turned 27 on top of Kilimanjaro. Next up is the Long Trail, and another Camino from Portugal to Santiago. Next countries I really want to visit: Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Spent some of last summer in Indonesia, climbing mountains and buying textiles. Teaching Shakespeare in Shanghai this summer, with some stops on the way and back.
So that's me, in a nutshell. Feel free to write if I left anything out, or if you'd potentially like to meet up. Best wishes for happiness, wherever you may land!
