- I graduated with a double major in chemistry and history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I would not have ‘discovered’ history—medieval history and medieval Franciscans in particular—if it had not been for a breadth requirement I needed to fulfill for graduation…and an English professor who went out on paternity leave, leaving me with one fewer class, and “only” a course on the Italian Renaissance to fill the space I had available. It was brilliant, and I signed up for a class on medieval history with the same professor in the following semester. When I started college, I was convinced that I was going to become an organic chemist like my father. At some point early in my “first senior year,” I realized that just because I was good at something, I didn’t have to keep doing it, if there was something I enjoyed more…so I declared a History major and took a fifth year to graduate. Prior to taking that course on the Italian Renaissance, I had avoided history classes because I had disliked it in high school. I think my story is a lesson about the importance of the Liberal Arts, breadth requirements, and core curricula.
- I travelled to the Soviet Union (yes, it was still the Soviet Union) with an exchange group when I was in high school. I have never eaten so much dill in my life (I do like dill, actually.). Our host families lived in Moscow, but we took a night train to what was then Leningrad, and also visited the cities of Suzdal, Vladimir, and Yaroslavl, which are important historical sites, especially in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. I wish I had learned more about the history before I went. Later, in college, I learned more about some of the places we had visited on the trip.
- I love doing handwork; learning about new techniques; and seeing the work others have done. I learn best by reading and looking at diagrams, and I taught myself to knit using a couple of books. I decided that it would be faster and more convenient to learn to knit Continental (yarn in left hand, “picking” the yarn), rather than English (yarn in right hand, “throwing” the yarn). That has made it challenging when other people would like me to help them learn to knit, because people in the U.S. tend to start out learning to knit English style. I can knit with the yarn in my right hand, but it does not feel natural at all. This has nothing to do with my handedness—I am very right-handed. I am also a spinner, and prefer to spin with spindles, rather than with spinning wheels (of which I have two). Last year I made a sweater out of yarn I spun myself on a tiny spindle. In fact, almost all of the sweaters (and all of the winter hats) I wear are things that I made for myself. I love sewing and have a small herd of sewing machines, and I would like to get back to my looms sooner rather than later. There is never enough time.
- I love watching Scandinavian television series with my partner, and have a soft spot for Nordic Noir. My two favorite series are The Killing (Forbrydelsen) and The Bridge (Bron/Broen), but we also have enjoyed Rita, Borgen, Seaside Hotel (Badehotellet), The Asset (Legenden)…any number of shows. For kicks I started learning Danish on Duolingo during the pandemic (because, why not…?), and I enjoy listening to the language and trying to understand a little if I can. I also enjoy being able to tell what sounds correspond to what letters. Since then, I decided to do Norwegian and Swedish as well, since the Danish course was very short (A pity, because I think it’s my favorite.). I find the differences and similarities among the languages—both in terms of the words, their spelling, and pronunciation—really interesting.
- I read a lot, and tend to read a ton of books by the same author or books about a particular topic at one time. Last year, I went through a spy novel phase, and read almost all of John Le Carré’s books. After that, I read all of Mick Herron’s novels (of Slough House fame). Also good, but not Le Carré.
- I have liked gardening for a long time, but used to kill all of my houseplants. In graduate school at Princeton, I had a garden plot with the spouse of one of my fellow graduate students. When my spouse and I first moved to Albany, we had a community garden plot for a number of years, but gave it up when our second child became a toddler. I missed having a garden, so during the pandemic, we decided to fill our small backyard with garden beds. I also built two “IKEA greenhouses,” and began to have more success growing plants indoors. Now I have a number of philodendrons, hoyas, and a handful of orchids—in the cabinets as well as in the kitchen and sunroom. My favorite philodendrons are probably Philodendron mayoi and Philodendron tortum. I don’t have a favorite hoya yet, but I love when they bloom. I was excited last winter, when my Brassidium Kenneth Bivin ‘Santa Barbara’ HCC/AOS and Oncidium Heaven Scent ‘Sweet Baby’ bloomed for me for the first time. It made me feel like a good plant parent. Right now, I have two orchids preparing to bloom—a mini phalaenopsis and a brassocattleya, both of which were in rough condition (very few roots) when I got them.
- My cats are brothers, named Bert and Ernie. We adopted them as formerly feral kittens a little more than a year ago from a local rescue organization. I have always had a soft spot for cats. When I was in high school, I found more than one stray cat, including one near the public library where I worked. I put him in a box, and my boyfriend at the time helped me drive him out to my house, 30 miles away. When I got home, my mom directed me to put in the garage and told me not to give him a name, because he wouldn’t be staying. Well, his name was already Tennessee (after Tennessee Williams, to go with Oscar (Wilde), one of the other cats I had brought home.), and I figured that if I introduced him to my dad, he would end up staying. I was right.
- I’m not a big outdoorsperson, but one of my favorite activities is hiking (below). Living in Albany means that I have relatively easy access to wonderful trails in the Adirondacks and the Catskills, which is great. I love the effort it takes and the physical exertion, almost like I am in a contest with myself.
- I shook hands with Pope Francis (below) while at the annual conference of the International Council of Christians and Jews in Rome in July 2015. It was an overwhelming moment, to say the least. Conference goers had a private audience with Pope Francis, who gave an address to us on the theme of the conference, which was in honor of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate (1965), a declaration from the Second Vatican Council that addressed the relationship of the Catholic Church to non-Christian religions, and specifically, to Judaism.
- Tea is my beverage of choice. I like strong black tea with milk and a little sugar. I’m especially fond of Harney and Sons’ Supreme Breakfast and East Frisian teas, but there are a number of other ones I like as well. I prefer drinking it out of an insulated steel pint glass, to keep it nice and hot.
. 
Photo, top: Clark starting at a giant weaving. Velu Viswanadhan, Indian, b. 1940. Untitled, designed 1995, woven January 19, 2004–April 5, 2005. Woven at Manufacture des Gobelins, Paris. Dyers: unidentified. Weavers: Isabelle Szwalby (chef de pièce). Wool warp and weft.