This blog is the result of my procrastination. I’ve spent the evening building it instead of working on seminar papers, because I needed a break and wanted to try out Jekyll. I used to have a Tumblr instead of a real website, but I wanted more control and less reliance on a platform. (Also, I wasn’t really maintaining it.) As I learn more, the site may look different, but for now the simple look is refreshing.

I’m about to embark on a potentially stress-inducing year. In 2014 I will attempt to complete my reading list for the Major Fields exam, the last major hurdle before I begin work on the dissertation. It’s a long list of texts and largely a solitary process of reading and thinking leading up to an oral exam. My idea was that if I had a place to put my thoughts down periodically, it would help me get through this stage with sanity intact. It will also give me a chance to explain my ideas in real human words, which is a skill I don’t want to forget as I move away from coursework temporarily.

I hope that the blog will be more than just research updates, so I’ll try to include a smattering of other things from my life here in StL. And I’ll always try to find a way to make my research interesting to a non-specialist. I realize there are no comments on the site (by design), but please say hello on Twitter.