Now I live in Henderson, Nevada, with occasional travel to Pittsburgh and the rest of the world. In the past few years within the States I’ve taken short visits to northern Virginia, Zion National Park, West Virginia, San Diego, Portland (Oregon), and northern Ohio, with longer stays in Chicago and the mid-Hudson Valley. I’ve also taken long trips to Mexico City, Baja California, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto, El Escorial, London, Cambridge (England), Stockholm, Kiruna, Dublin, the Atlantic coast of Ireland, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Chiba, with an impending trip to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Last spring I walked the Camino de Santiago from Vigo, and last month became a Dual Pilgrim after traveling along the Kumano Kodo. I aspire to see much more of the world and especially hope to see one of the upcoming total eclipses in Spain, Iceland, or Egypt.

I’ve heard Las Vegas will find and exploit whatever your weakness may be, so it seems that I’m addicted to leaving the place, taking advantage of the inexpensive airfares that often pop up. When I am here, I occasionally take in spectacles such as Beckett’s “Happy Days”, Mac King, Piff the Magic Dragon, and Sleater-Kinney. When in Pittsburgh, I enjoy its familiarity and coziness, even though I must more diligently “redd up”.

Every day I learn Spanish, make or find a satisfying meal, read, reflect, and write. Every week I organize household, financial, and family affairs. I continue to research issues related to communication with potential extraterrestrial intelligence and presented some investigations at a conference in Sweden last fall. For a while I was writing this blog exclusively in Spanish, and have advanced to translate pieces into English. My current project is a contemporary translation of Filipino national hero José Rizal’s poem “Mi Último Adiós”.

Overall, I live a marvelous, upside-down version of the academic calendar, working only summers since leaving Carnegie Mellon in autumn 2022. Two years ago I taught writing with Thrive Scholars at the University of Chicago, and last year rejoined  the Language & Thinking Program at Bard College, a sort of homecoming because I first taught there three decades ago. Last year I also volunteered as a poll worker for the primary and general elections, occasionally speaking Spanish while helping people.

I could come out of retirement for an opportunity that exercises my strengths in interdisciplinary teaching, student mentorship, and educational leadership, as well as stretches my limits into areas of new growth. My life is wonderful, so this would have to be an exceptional opportunity.

Last update: 2025-02-28 Fri 14:15 PST