CURRENT MISSION

To tell some of these crazy stories I've been collecting.

ABOUT ME

I'm a friendly guy who likes meeting new people. My friends would probably describe me as nice, talkative, outgoing, excitable, and a bit of a character.

The quick bio: I'm most of the way through my PhD in the Religion department at Columbia University, where I study nonbelievers in the United States. I lived in Kyoto, Japan for a year after college, then spent two years in southern California, and now four more in NYC. I've bounced around a lot of places during the summers since.

PHILOSOPHY

Love and compassion for others. At my best, I remember what's good about life, and I let the little things go. That's my aim.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've never actually tried this before, but I've heard great things about the community, and I'd like start participating.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've slept on a lot of couches in a lot of places, but never through this website.

Interests

Basketball, good books, funny stories, strong drink.

• books
• literature
• recipes
• drinking
• basketball
• anthropology
• freelancing
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

The last four books I read that weren't related to work, in reverse chronological order:
House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
By Nightfall - Michael Cunningham
American Pastoral - Philip Roth
The Book of Basketball - Bill Simmons

After so many years spent nerding out on music, I can safely say that I love all kinds. If I'm looking to dance, I'm looking for hip hop.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Eaten bear sashimi?

Teach, Learn, Share

I've got some great recipes for vegetarians and omnivores. I'm also a pretty big nerd, so I've got a lot of philosophical knowledge, especially about the French and German traditions. I'm comfortable with a lot of literature, and I have advanced degrees in anthropology and religion (though I know American religions better than most others). I write all the time and have been employed as a freelance editor, so if you need your officialese cleaned up, I got you.