About Eric
I grew up in New Jersey and attended Cornell University, where I majored in History with a concentration in Classics. My studies covered a very wide range of cultural history through the ancient, medieval, and Renaissance periods in Europe, the Near/Middle East, and Japan. I have loved the theater stage since childhood; while at Cornell I lived in an arts program house with its own black box theater and performed for multiple productions. From there I attended graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in English with a concentration in Medieval Studies. I read and taught Shakespeare, American literature, the Romantics and Transcendentalists, premodern travel/exploration writing, and a wide range of poetry for the University during this period.
The Storyteller
I have since become a career teacher, spending thirteen years in the Tulsa, Austin, and Wichita public school districts, educating middle and high school students in English, Social Studies, and Writing. I continue to study the history and literature of the world, particularly that of my wonderful home country. Most of all I enjoy connecting with the stories and passions of people and connecting them with the universal themes that have presented themselves to me so many times across so many time periods. I am a learner and teacher of what it means to be human, and to appreciate the beautiful in our love, art, and imagination.
A t home
In my free time, I also enjoy hanging out with my beautiful wife and two young sons. I am an avid strength athlete and amateur cook, writer, wrestler, and artist. While I think of my classroom as the most important and impactful ‘stage’ I have, I continue to perform through my historical storytelling podcast, The Edge of History.
