I am a “historical foodie” of sorts, researching the ways in which literature reveals cultural beliefs about food and bodies – powerful beliefs that bring into relief assumptions we would never otherwise think to question. When Falstaff mentions raisins and blackberries in 1 Henry IV, for example, the early modern audience would have had very different experiences of these foods than we have today. That experiential and material difference is rich with opportunity for understanding the play, its cultural context, and, sometimes surprisingly, our own beliefs. I’ve also dabbled in Anglo-Saxon poetry, specifically the magical/medical texts known as the Metrical Charms.

As a public humanist, I believe that the history of the relationship between self, body, and food continues to be interesting and engaging to both academic and public audiences. As a Portlander, I love hiking with my spouse, 8-year-old son, and our Golden Retriever, “Falkor;”  knitting; reading; and drinking tea.