It’s persimmon season in California, and last month a friend with a tree gifted me with a huge haul of bright orange fruits. Read More
Finding America’s Conquistador Roots in San Leandro
Last year, my husband and I were looking to buy a house in the small California city of San Leandro, on the edge of Oakland. Being a historian and a nerd (redundant, I know), I looked into the history of the town and its name. I was surprised, delighted, and eventually horrified to find it rooted in medieval history, and it showed me just how deep-seated America’s racism is in its visions of the Middle Ages. Read More
Corduroy and Politics in Children’s Books
Corduroy was one of my favorite books as a kid, but it wasn’t until I started reading it to children as an adult that I realized it has a political message. Read More
Scones – sweet or savory
If I had to encapsulate my academic aspirations into a single image, it would be the memory of sitting around the coffee table in the economics department lounge at Carleton, eating my professor’s homemade scones, drinking tea, and debating applied philosophy with professors and students. Read More
Virtuous “clean” eating is the same as the Instagram aesthetic
Let me rant at you about a 10-month old podcast episode. Read More
Intermittent Fasting – Health, religion, and individualism in the modern wellness brand
We need to talk about intermittent fasting. Read More
