Personal

Away from the archive

Arkansas

I grew up in rural Arkansas, a long way from the nearest art museum, and an undergraduate thesis on Arthur Evans's reconstruction of the throne room at Knossos was the first version of a question I have been asking ever since.

Photography

I have photographed for work since my first field season, and some of it stopped being documentation.

Doric temple colonnade — Temple colonnade, Paestum

Painting

I paint when I can, usually the things I work on: Roman walls, Italian light, the colour of old plaster.

Painting of a tree in green and gold — Tree, green and gold

Painting of three trees in gold on blue — Three trees

Painting of a blue moon over an arch — Moon and arch

Writing

I write fiction.

The Library of Libraries
An Academic Obsession
The Age of Edanna

Cycling

I ride a road bike and spend more time than I should comparing gravel bikes I have not bought.

Bicycle in front of Buckingham Fountain, Chicago — Buckingham Fountain, Chicago

In a cycling helmet on a country lane — A lane in England

Films

I keep a list of funny Westerns for people who think they do not like Westerns; it starts with Support Your Local Sheriff!

Climbing and hiking

I rock climb, and hike when the archive lets me.

Travel

Most of my travel has followed the work, which has been a good excuse to see a great deal of Italy, England and the American Midwest.

Entrance to the Case Romane del Celio on the Clivo di Scauro, Rome — Clivo di Scauro, Rome

Roman wall painting with marine figures, Case Romane del Celio — Under Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Rome

Interior of a Doric temple at Paestum — Paestum

Magdalen College tower on the High Street, Oxford — Magdalen Tower, Oxford

Rowers on the river in autumn, Oxford — The river in autumn, Oxford

A narrow stone lane between colleges, Oxford — A lane in Oxford

Stained-glass window in a college chapel, Oxford — A chapel window, Oxford

College buildings lit with projected stars at Christmas — Christmas lights, Oxford

The British Museum on a wet morning — The British Museum, London

A glacial valley with snow on the ridges — Snowdonia, Wales

Bard Graduate Center building, New York — Bard Graduate Center, New York

Gothic cloister walk, University of Chicago — A cloister, University of Chicago

The main quadrangle, University of Chicago — The Quad, Chicago

Languages and places

Latin and Greek from the degree, Italian from about two years in Rome, French and German for reading; Austin, Oxford, Rome and now Chicago.

An avenue of autumn trees, Oxford — Oxford in October