15 with Fosca Fosca D'Acierno

“I really felt like I came alive here. Life felt simultaneously easier and harder, but underneath all of that, more inspiring and enlivening. And it's something that I just couldn't leave.” Alexandria Brown-Hejazi

In this special, long episode featuring art historian Alexandria Brown-Hejazi, we begin by speaking about her journey from California to Italy, in the midst of the pandemic, and the challenges she encountered when she first arrived, alone with a small child, trying to move her research forward and advance her academic career while raising a child in a foreign country.

We also cover a wide range of topics from finding and building community, to the differences between raising kids in Italy and in the US, to “checking out of the matrix,” and to planning -- or not -- for the future.

We also discuss where she is right now and dig deeper into her research and her teaching. We chat about aesthetics and meraviglie and what she is doing to bring students closer to art history through new, inclusive, and diverse perspectives that inspire young scholars to look at, feel, and experience what they are seeing in Italy every day in a profoundly personal way that transforms their study abroad journeys into passages of true self-discovery and awareness.



Alexandria Brown-Hejazi Biography



Alexandria specializes in early modern art and architecture of the Mediterranean basin and eastern Islamicate world, with a particular focus on the arts of Italy and Iran. She teaches art history in Florence, where she is also an Associate Scholar at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz. Alexandria is also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, as well as the Henry A. Millon Award in Art and Architectural History from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. Her research has been supported by the Hoover Institution, the American Association of Iranian Studies, and the Mellon Foundation. She has curated two exhibitions on the theme of cross-cultural early modern exchange. At the Cantor Arts Center, Alexandria directed the first exhibition on Persian art in Crossing the Caspian: Persia and Europe, 1500-1700. She also curated an online exhibition on Islamic mapping practices at the David Rumsey Map Center in her show Mapping the Islamic World: the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires. She received her PhD in Art History from Stanford University, her MA from Harvard University with Distinction, and her BA from the University of California Berkeley.



https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandria-brown-hejazi-33a50049/



Recorded November 28, 2023 @ Musikalmente Firenze

“I think for anyone who lives in Italy or is interested in Italy, it's really valuable and interesting to keep those other connections in mind. The Mediterranean touches us all in some way or other.” Ali Aydin Karamustafa



In part two of our conversation, Ali and I continue to discuss Italy’s relationship to its Mediterranean neighbors and to the Islamic world through the ages and take a deeper dive into a wide range of topics touching on Italy’s colonial past, postwar history, contemporary politics, and immigration. 



Once again through Ali’s commentary, informed by a keen historical lens, we also look at Italy’s ambiguous position, geographically and politically, delve into the complicated questions surrounding immigration in the country today, and explore broader topics related to economics and politics, in Italy, Europe, and on a global level. 



Finally, we talk about what’s in store for Ali and he shares with us some exciting projects he has in the works for the immediate future. 





Ali Aydin Karamustafa Biography



Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Ali Aydin Karamustafa is a historian of the Ottoman and Safavid worlds, and his research focuses on oral and written traditions concerning origins, conquest, legitimacy, and rebellion which were produced and circulated by political communities from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries across Eurasia. 



Primarily based in Bologna, Italy, since 2018, he currently teaches at Stanford University's Breyer Center for Overseas Studies Program in Florence. In January 2020, he received his PhD in history from Stanford in Transnational, International, and Global History. His dissertation focused on the popular culture of the Middle East in the 16th-18th centuries, in particular, the epic of Köroğlu. 



He speaks and reads several regional languages, and works with manuscripts, journals, and print sources for his research. He has extensive travel and research experience in Iran, Turkey, Jordan, the Caucasus, and Russia. He is interested in applying his expertise in historical analysis and language skills to carry out research on contemporary politics and economics in Europe and the Middle East. 



LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-aydin-karamustafa-507442170/



Recorded March 5, 2024 @ Musikalmente Firenze

Production Intern: Mark Scott 

Season 2, Episode 19

Italy, Islam & the Mediterranean

featuring Ali Aydin Karamustafa



“I'm from Saint Louis, but I'm also originally Turkish and Iranian, so I have a basic experience with the Mediterranean. Coming to Italy there were a lot of things that were immediately recognizable, even just on the visceral level: sights, sounds, colors, smells, facial features. On the other hand, I was surprised by how much I felt that Italian culture and society had its back turned on the rest of the Mediterranean and was really looking towards Northern Europe.” Ali Aydin Karamustafa



Join me for the first half of my conversation with global historian, Ali Aydin Karamustafa, in which we trace his personal and professional path from St. Louis, Missouri to Bologna, Italy.



In this episode, Ali engages us in an illuminating narrative about Italy’s relationship to its Mediterranean neighbors and to the Islamic world through the ages. During his recounting, Ali identifies key historical moments, offers valuable insights on those moments and their vestiges, and provides different lenses through which to look at Italy’s connection to its Mediterranean neighbors and what that relationship means and has meant to Italians.



We also discuss Ali’s complicated relationship to Italy, how he sees himself in the country in light of his own cultural identity, and we delve into the notion and significance of a “Mediterranean identity”.



Finally, we touch upon what it’s like to be a young academic in Italy today and I ask Ali to tell us about his research and teaching, his keen interest in contemporary geopolitical issues and economic exchanges, and how he sees Italy’s current relationship with the Mediterranean.



Ali Aydin Karamustafa biography



Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Ali Aydin Karamustafa is a historian of the Ottoman and Safavid worlds, and his research focuses on oral and written traditions concerning origins, conquest, legitimacy, and rebellion which were produced and circulated by political communities from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries across Eurasia.



Primarily based in Bologna, Italy, since 2018, he currently teaches at Stanford University's Breyer Center for Overseas Studies Program in Florence. In January 2020, he received his PhD in history from Stanford in Transnational, International, and Global History. His dissertation focused on the popular culture of the Middle East in the 16th-18th centuries, in particular, the epic of Köroğlu.



He speaks and reads several regional languages, and works with manuscripts, journals, and print sources for his research. He has extensive travel and research experience in Iran, Turkey, Jordan, the Caucasus, and Russia.



He is interested in applying his expertise in historical analysis and language skills to carry out research on contemporary politics and economics in Europe and the Middle East.





Recorded March 5, 2024 @ Musikalmente Firenze

Production Intern: Mark Scott

Season 2, Episode 18

From East to West: Art, Aesthetics & Sustainable Fashion, Part 2

featuring Vea Chen



In the second half of my chat with Vea Chen we expound further upon fashion and speak about Vea’s approach to her dream of founding a sustainable fashion brand and the concrete steps she has taken and is taking to make that dream a reality.



We also grapple with the meaning of fashion, today and throughout history, and the significance, on several levels, of what we choose to wear, what we wear, how we dress on a daily basis, and see and express ourselves



Vea and I also look at fashion through the lenses of contemporary art, social movements, pop culture, and subcultures. We also delve into the problematic ways in which influencers and social media dictate our fashion choices and what can be done to counter that.



Finally, we reflect upon what is important, not only to young people studying fashion today, but also to gen z more broadly, and Vea introduces a thought-provoking vision of the future of fashion.



Vea Chen Biography



Vea Chen was born in China and earned a degree in Mathematics and Economics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Subsequently, she spent five years working with US Multinational corporations. Her exposure to luxury perfumeries during her professional journey sparked a keen interest in fashion.



While on vacation in Japan, the philosophy of respecting nature and craftsmanship deeply resonated with her, leading to the realization that her true passion lies in the creative industry and art. Motivated by this revelation, she made the decision to pursue studies in fashion at Polimoda in Italy with the goal of establishing a business centered around sustainable fashion with healing properties. She firmly believes that fashion plays a significant role in people's lives, influencing emotions and adding vibrancy. In an era dominated by the starkness of black in street fashion and people's attention are drawn to the online world, her aspiration is to add color, beauty, slow fashion, and human touch to people's lives.



https://www.instagram.com/vvronica_vea/

https://www.polimoda.com/

“In the museums, when you go there, you feel like you're taking a bath, it's like a bath in art. And then you just feel a whole refresh, your eyes are brighter, and you see things in different colors. I feel like art influences a person subconsciously a lot, much more than what you can think with your logic. After I go to the Uffizi, even after three days, the effects start to emerge in me.” Vea Chen



Imagine a dream, a recurring dream, that leads you to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.



That’s part of today’s story, that of Vea Chen, and of her journey from Singapore to Italy, driven by a revelation she had while on vacation in Japan, and of what she is doing to make her real-life dream of establishing a business centered around sustainable fashion with healing properties a reality.



In this first part of our conversation, we hear more about her love of art, the importance of aesthetics, her vision of fashion today, her company’s mission, and her ultimate aspiration of adding color, beauty, slow fashion, and a human touch to people's lives.



Tune in to hear more about what drew Vea to Florence, why she chose to study and make her life here, and why she feels that it is the ideal place for her to be working as a sustainable fashion entrepreneur today.



Vea Chen Biography



Vea Chen was born in China and earned a degree in Mathematics and Economics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Subsequently, she spent five years working with US Multinational corporations. Her exposure to luxury perfumeries during her professional journey sparked a keen interest in fashion.



While on vacation in Japan, the philosophy of respecting nature and craftsmanship deeply resonated with her, leading to the realization that her true passion lies in the creative industry and art. Motivated by this revelation, she made the decision to pursue studies in fashion at Polimoda in Italy with the goal of establishing a business centered around sustainable fashion with healing properties. She firmly believes that fashion plays a significant role in people's lives, influencing emotions and adding vibrancy. In an era dominated by the starkness of black in street fashion and people's attention are drawn to the online world, her aspiration is to add color, beauty, slow fashion, and human touch to people's lives.



https://www.instagram.com/vvronica_vea/

https://www.polimoda.com/

Season 2, Episode 16

Languages, Literature, and Living Abroad: Cultivating One’s Garden in our Global World

Featuring Chloe Summers Edmondson

Recorded via Zoom, January 2024



“The tools that you gain through studying the humanities are going to serve you in any career that you have…the ability to write and express clearly, to communicate clearly, to solve problems that have no clear answers, to collaborate with others and to think critically. And I think that studying abroad… the skills that it takes, and the tools that you gain that are required to have a positive study abroad experience, are tools that will serve you in any career.” Chloe Summers Edmondson



In this special video episode, recorded via Zoom this past January, Chloe reflects upon how her time abroad, both in Florence and Paris, impacted her professional and personal path and continues to do so to this day.



We muse on the power of learning a foreign language, the cruciality of spending time in another country, and why studying the humanities is more important than ever right now.



Chloe also speaks about her approach to teaching, and I ask her to tell us more about her incredible classes and how she is bringing a new generation of students closer to the humanities, guiding them on a journey of historical awareness that leads them to a profound understanding of the value of the humanities and their relatability to today’s world and its problems.



She also shares with us her current research interests, her take on what we can learn from the past, and how she frames contemporary media issues through an historical and interdisciplinary lens.

Chloe also ruminates on storytelling through time, what she’s doing to bring her research to a broader public and explains why it’s so necessary to cultivate one’s own garden in our global world.



Biography and Links



Dr. Chloe Summers Edmondson is an interdisciplinary and multilingual scholar who specializes in the literature and history of France. Her research is situated at the crossroads of literary criticism, cultural history, and media studies, with a focus on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France. She currently holds the position of Acting Assistant Professor of French at Stanford University. She is also the France-Stanford Center Fellow for the Roxane Debuisson Collection on Paris History. Lastly, Chloe is the Director of the Undergraduate Research Program for CESTA, the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis.



She is the author of articles that have been published in multiple academic venues. Chloe co-edited, with Dan Edelstein, the volume, Networks of Enlightenment: Digital Approaches to the Republic of Letters (Liverpool University Press/ Voltaire Foundation, 2019). Her current research has also been featured on the podcast Entitled Opinions about Life and Literature.



Chloe earned a Ph.D. in the Department of French & Italian at Stanford in 2020. She also holds a B.A. in French, with Honors and Distinction, and a M.A. in Communication, both from Stanford.



During her time as an undergraduate student, she studied abroad in Florence and in Paris through the Stanford Bing Overseas Studies Programs.



LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-summers-edmondson-phd-4383a589/

Personal Website https://www.chloe-edmondson.com/

Stanford profile https://dlcl.stanford.edu/people/chloe-edmondson

@Chloe_mhse

https://twitter.com/Chloe_mhse

Entitled Opinions https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/entitled-opinions-about-life-and-literature/id81415836?i=1000605045889