Here I write about subjects, ideas, and experiences that stay with me. Some posts grow out of my life in academia, especially as a first-generation academic. Others explore education, art, literature, or culture. While my research sometimes finds its way into these texts, they are first and foremost meant as opportunities to engage with a topic without the constraints of academic writing.
Setting the Stage for Ramona
Social mobility is hard. Very hard – as the person this text is all about knows only too well. If you want to move up the social ladder and overcome…
On Air-Pumps and Truth
It is one of the hardest tasks for historians of any period or field to “think away” what appears to be self-evident. Yet it is also this ability which differentiates…
The Ghost of Ukiyo-e
They are quite easily overlooked, aren’t they? Japanese woodblock prints I mean. They are not particularly big, they are not particularly bright and colourful – at least in their given…
(Almost) Forgotten Books
Have you ever taken a stroll along the Seine in the center of Paris? If so, you will unquestionably have encountered the Bouquinistes, which form – in my personal opinion…
Visiting Kusama
Can you imagine a world dominated by dots? And I mean, dominated. So much so that these dots become the focal point of your whole existence. So much so that…