A good question— and one I’ve been exploring for much of my life. Here’s one attempt at a brief answer:

On a conventional level, I am a father, husband, philosopher, teacher, writer, and Buddhist practitioner living in Western Massachusetts.

I spend much of my life reflecting on ancient wisdom teachings and trying to incorporate them into my life. This website is mainly a way to share the fruits of that effort with others who are interested.

Some biographical details of spurious relevance:

• I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where I learned learned about many things, including how to navigate the travails of poverty and housing instability in modern America. I also learned rebelliousness and resolve.

• I attended college at the University of Pittsburgh, where I learned about friendship, philosophy, and literature.

• I attended Harvard University for graduate school, where I completed my PhD in Philosophy and wrote a prize-winning dissertation about the nature of morality.

• I have taught philosophy at Harvard, at Bennington College, and at Deerfield Academy.

Of course, none of that really answers the question “Who am I?”, but it might help to address some idle curiosity.