I am a PhD student writing a dissertation about ecological poetry.

I will be attending a summer poetry seminar session in London this summer, and I'm excited to do some traveling in the meantime.

My goals this summer are to share conversations with interesting people; find some nice cafés to write in so I can make some progress on my dissertation; experience some beautiful nature; visit some art museums; explore new cities; learn about local poetry; hear some folk music; and see some historical and archaeological sites, especially pertaining to old polytheist religions.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting people when I travel. It's been a long time (my last couchsurf was in 2008!), but my past couchsurfing experiences were so fantastic. I really cherish these memories and hope to make more! I enjoy hearing about others' lives, experiences, passions, and ideas. And nothing beats an insider's perspective on one's home!

Interests

Besides reading poetry, I love art museums, attending poetry readings, hearing live music, finding cozy cafés, exploring cities, walking through parks, hiking, camping, and occasionally dipping into cold bodies of water. I love linen and wool. Once in a while I make visual art. I love reading about indigenous religions, mythology, and archaeology.

Music, Movies, and Books

Poetry
Rainer Maria Rilke, H.D., Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Susan Howe, William Blake, Robert Duncan, Charles Olson, Dylan Thomas, Nathaniel Mackey, Linda Hogan, Alice Notley, John Keats, Federico Garcia Lorca, Cody-Rose Clevidence, Beowulf, medieval and ancient poetry

Philosophy and Theory
Alfred North Whitehead, Graham Harvey, Gilles Deleuze, Baruch Spinoza, Isabelle Stengers, Brian Massumi, Donna Haraway, and much more

Music:
Many genres, but here I'll highlight that I really love traditional and folk music (or modern uses of them) from around the world. Some favorites include: Kūlgrinda, Фольклорный ансамбль Воля, Saucējas, Brighde Chaimbeul, Huun-Huur-Tu, Sian, Wardruna, Olena Uutai, Tartit, Heilung, Tarta Relena, Siti Muharam, Ratilio, Очелье сороки, Cengiz Özkan, POLE, Otava Yo, Bulgarian folk singing, Merope, Mari Boine, The Watersons, Julie Fowlis, Gilė, Daimh, Ballaké Sissoko, Clannad, Под Облаками

Films!
Marketa Lazarova, Wings of Desire (Der Himmel Über Berlin), The Color of Pomegranates, Under the Silver Globe, The Master, Stalker, The Witch, The Juniper Tree, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, Heart of Glass, Melancholia, Come and See, The Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari, Post Tenebras Lux, The Green Knight, Midsommar, Son of the White Mare, Siberiade, Alien, Possession, Proschchanie (Farewell), El Sur, Queen Margot, Donnie Darko, Mandy, November, Valhalla Rising, Fireworks Wednesday, Suspiria, Beyond the Hills, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, The Lobster, The Love Witch, Black Moon, La Chinoise, Persona, You Won't Be Alone, many more

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Nothing too spectacular, but I find amazement in the simple things. On a farm in Iceland I watched a calf that had been born a half hour before stand up for its first time. On a tiny Finnish island I went to the sauna and watched the ocean sunset every night.

Teach, Learn, Share

I teach American poetry and fiction to my undergraduate students; if literature is something you're interested in, we can talk about it!

Countries I’ve Visited

Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States

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