I wrote my dissertation on the American author James Purdy. He was active as a writer from the 1950s to the early 21st century and enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1960s (and in the Netherlands in the 1980s and 1990s after the publication of Dutch translations of his work). However, he has now somewhat faded into obscurity.

Since 2014, I have been a member of the editorial board of the journal Arabesken, published by the Louis Couperus Society. During this time, I have become interested in how Couperus responds in his literature to the changing sexual norms in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies around 1900. Much has been written about his progressive portrayal of liberated women and homosexuality, but these critiques often keep Couperus’ various literary worlds separate from one another.

The consequences of the AIDS epidemic are still felt deeply in the LGBTQIA+ community. As the virus that causes AIDS has claimed numerous lives, it has become a challenge for many individuals in the queer community to establish intergenerational connections. The advent of medications that make the syndrome manageable and the introduction of PrEP, a preventive measure against HIV transmission, also mean that newer generations of queer individuals have a different relationship with the virus than those directly affected by it. As a result, activism and cultural production during the AIDS epidemic are gradually fading from view, leading to mutual misunderstanding between different generations of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Yet, especially at a time when global homophobia and transphobia are resurfacing, we need to look at the lessons we can learn from activism, literature, and art from the AIDS epidemic.

My research interests and teaching philosophy converge most clearly around the theme of diversity and inclusion. In my teaching practice, I dedicate significant attention to inclusive didactic approaches. This practice feeds into my research projects, in which I aim to translate my practical experiences into methods and insights upon which other educators can build.

While drag has been an integral part of the LGBTQIA+ community for over a century, it’s gained an immense popularity in recent years due to televisions shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race. Because of this mainstream popularity, drag is in the public eye more than ever. This visibility allows drag artists to experiment with and question the relationship between gender expression and social norms in their performances.