essays*
*I'm using "essay" pretty recklessly here, as this space contains reviews, academic papers, criticism, longer articles, and yes, the occasional proper essay. Such accuracy was a bit much for the site banner though.
William Blake has become a force in my life, and someone I think of when making decisions or attempting to charting my own course through the world. When I was first really introduced to him, I was very new to reading poetry and intimidated by the medium. But Blake immediately transcended my ignorance and unsophisticated appreciation of the form. This is my first attempt at discussing one of his glorious creations.
The discussion of cryptocurrency in this paper, written in 2022, may feel quaint and almost anachronistic even a couple years later, but my argument isn't aging too poorly, particularly given the rise of AI. Science has long been examined as a modern alternative to religion, but I consider here the possibility of technology seizing the role.
I wrote this paper regarding correlation versus causation for a course on primate evolution. It sounds a bit niche, particularly because the paper itself looks at how well other research papers perform in separating correlation from causation. Despite the narrow framing, I still find it a useful tool for avoiding falling into this mental trap.
I submitted this review of Around the World in 80 Trees as part of my application for a graduate program at UChicago. That period was so transformative for me, and this book and my own journey back toward amateur tree sleuthing were inextricably linked to that change.