Hovering in the space between history, biography, and memoir, my research explores how people respond to ambiguity under differing social and intellectual conditions. I am currently finishing two book manuscripts: one (scholarly) retracing the journey of a single "counterfeit" gemstone from Iraq to Italy over nearly 1,200 years; the other (literary) on romantic "missed connections."
Trained as a historian of Islamic art, I hold a BA in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Washington, MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago, and PhD in art history and archaeology from Columbia University. Originally from Bellevue, Washington, I currently live in Paris, where I work as an editor and translator.