Searing Q&A

Current location: Manhattan, Kansas

Place you call home: Colorado

Most recent education:  Currently finishing up my MPH degree

Why the pseudonym?: Over 1000 students with access to my current email address is probably a good enough reason for the time being.

Topics of Interest: Vegetables, humanitarianism, belief systems, ekphrasis, film, philosophy, sustainability, all things multicultural or international, health & nutrition, literature, & epidemiology

Favorite word(s):  “Apothecary” or “iris”… two great words that are underappreciated in our society.  Who would choose pharmacy over apothecary?  And iris, of course, for its triple meaning as a noun (e.g., Anatomically, the diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye; Botany, any plant of the genus Iris; & Classical Mythology, a messenger of the gods, goddess of the rainbow).

Of you were forced to choose, would you take reflections or shadows? Shadows.  There is something to be said for truth in light’s distortion.  Shadows can’t lie, they just exaggerate or truncate.  They always give the same one dimensional depiction.  Interpretation lies in noticing the surface they extend across & the angle of the sun.     

Guilty pleasure: Overly shiny, sparkled or flavored, teenage-style lip gloss & chocolate covered cherries.

Activities (besides writing): running, reading, tutoring, travelling, international food and cooking, sports, brushing my teeth, checking the mail, & searching pubmed

Favorite translated proverbs: “When eating fruit, think of the person who planted the tree” (Vietnamese).  “The last to arrive eats bones” (Zambian).   

Most interesting random fact learned in the last 6 months: A group of Zebras is called a “dazzle.”  A group of mongooses is called a “business.”  And yes, a group of warthogs is called a “sounder.”