I write about literature and drama, especially as they interact with forms of religion and philosophy in the early modern period. Much of my research has been on Shakespeare, but I have also written on Herbert, Donne, Milton, Massinger, Marlowe, Corbett, Fletcher, Scotus, Augustine, and others. My research is always interdisciplinary, and my first book is a study of early modern theatricality through ballads, pageants, jigs, sermons, liturgies, festivals, and plays.
I love to teach the authors from this period as well, especially the plays of Shakespeare, poetry of George Herbert, and prose of Montaigne and More. But as a teacher, I prefer to teach texts outside of my area of expertise. I love teaching provocative works of historical philosophy, such as the dialogues of Plato, the works of Hobbes and Descartes, and modern philosophers like Kant, Hegel, Levinas, Ricoeur, and Cavell. And when possible, I especially enjoy teaching works in the history of mathematics and science, in particular Euclid’s Elements of Geometry.
There’s something extraordinary that happens when I read and discuss these original sources with students. It’s not just about learning new information. It’s about knowledge that changes you, shapes you as you learn it.
I live in Fullerton, CA with my family. I don’t have a dog or vegetable garden but wish that I had both. After work, I spend my time making tacos, playing chess, mountain biking, playing soccer with my kids, and, when they let me, reading poetry aloud with friends.