Arnold Böcklin, Isle of the Dead: Third Version, 1833
Welcome! I am an Associate Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College. My research is situated in the dialogue between ancient and modern political thought. I explore how these bodies of thought complement and provoke one another; and how their interactions are productive for contemporary political theory. At the most general level my work is concerned with the power of narrative to enable democratic activity in extreme political conditions. My manuscript project, Mortal Democracy, develops several accounts of death as a part of ancient and modern political life, elaborating how these narratives enable or suppress democratic practices. My secondary research project, still in its early stages, views the proliferation and popular success of (super) heroic films since 9-11, and the political discourses these stories generate, as occasions for democratic or anti-democratic politics. With training in both Greek and Latin, I specialize in classical Greek political theory, tragedy, and the ways these are received, especially in 19th and 20th Century political thought. I also have longstanding research and teaching interests in the intersection of Politics, Literature, and Film. I currently teach political theory courses at Bard College and with the Bard Prison Initiative.