Featured Scholar - November 2021

What are you watching/streaming?
I been watching daily Reykjavik Grapevine updates on YouTube to see the new shield volcano evolve. It’s amazing to watch it develop. I also watched The Good Place and Schitt’s Creek. Both appeal to my sense of humor. I also like to watch PBS mystery shows. The Dutch version of Professor T is my current favorite.

What games are you playing?
My family and I play Illimat, which is a fun card game. I also like to play Scrabble Go on my phone. Occasionally, I’ll use my daughter’s VR headset and play Fruit Ninja or whatever she or her brother were playing recently. 

What are you listening to?
I listen to all sorts of music! I’ve been listening to music by the Decemberists recently. I find the lyrics interesting. The lead singer and songwriter majored in Medieval literature and some of the songs clearly show that influence. I also have been listening to Welcome to Night Vale, which is podcast. The setting is the fictional town of Night Vale. It’s a quirky show. One of the podcast authors, Joseph Fink, said that he came up with the idea of a “desert town where all conspiracy theories were real” and just went with it.

What are you reading?
Most of the reading I do is related to my research and pertains to the complexity of climate change and how it is manifesting in different geographical domains. The most recent one is As Long as Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker, which is about Indigenous approaches to environmental justice. I’ve just started The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert, which is about Earth’s current mass extinction event. Kolbert’s writing style is wonderful and something I’d like to emulate.

What are you writing/thinking about?
I am working on an edited collection that pertains to grassroots activism. It’s been interesting to think about the distinction between activism, advocacy, and organizing in this project. It’s also been a rewarding experience to do editorial work. I’m also revising a book manuscript on environmental issues that will be published with Ohio State University Press.