Hi.

I've joined OKCupid mostly to find new friends. It doesn't matter to me whether they're in-person friends that I can get together with or long-distance pen pals, as long as we've got something to talk about!

I'm presently a college student pursuing a double major in English Literature and Russian. I hope to carry on with this for the foreseeable future, eventually earning a masters degree, and then a Ph.D. Though it's a difficult position to attain, I hope to be a full-fledged professor one day. To me, this represents an ideal future -- being able to read and research literature on a daily basis, teaching it to others, learning new things. Honestly, this is what I'd be doing with my time anyway, so I may as well find a way to turn it into a career, right?

Though literature (and in particular, Russian literature) is probably my main interest, I'm also into many other aspects of the arts as well. I realize that this is true of quite a lot of people, so it might be more elucidating to list some of my absolute favorites:

When it comes to books, my favorite is Dostoevsky, especially "The Brothers Karamazov". If I were forced to answer the "desert island" question, that would be the one book I'd bring. I also love the psychological insight and wordplay of Nabokov, the obsessive layers of Pynchon, the blacklung beauty of Charles Dickens, the romance of Hugo and Melville, the Zen brilliance of Salinger, the restrained misanthropy of Mishima, and countless others.

I'm big into film as well, and consider myself a major fan of Woody Allen, P.T. Anderson, Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Federico Fellini, Orson Welles, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Hayao Miyazaki, and more. Some of my absolute favorite films are "The Seventh Seal", "Fanny and Alexander", "Stardust Memories", "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Boogie Nights", "Magnolia", "Three Colors Trilogy", "My Neighbor Totoro", "8 1/2", and probably thousands of others that I'm forgetting.

I'm also into some types of manga, animation, and video games, but mostly older stuff like Osamu Tezuka, Mitsuru Adachi, Riyoko Ikeda, original Gundam, NES, Sega Master System, etc.

If anyone is still reading this, allow me to apologize for being so long-winded about what kind of art I like. Hopefully, though, it gives a picture of not just what I like entertainment-wise, but also an approximation as to where my values and beliefs lie because for me, art is closely entwined with who I am as a person.

Lest I be thought of as some dry, dusty old professor, however, let me state that I do enjoy a lot of other pursuits.

I love baseball and try to attend at least a few games every season, in addition to those I can catch on television. To me, it's just the most awesome sport, no comparison. I'd even love to play a few casual games if I could get enough people together!

I attend a martial arts class about three times a week, and enjoy it for both exercise and spiritual reasons.

I'd love to learn more about music, as well as maybe learn to play an instrument in the future (probably the piano). Maybe I'll meet the right teacher on here?

Philosophically speaking, I guess I'm something of an existentialist. Before anyone runs screaming, I'm not at all the brooding emo type; it's simply that at this point in my life, I prefer the idea of a personally prescribed meaning of life rather than a universally prescribed one. That said, I do have some "secular spiritual" leanings that I guess could also qualify me as a Buddhist, even if I haven't fully adopted that state of mind yet (and might never). Like anyone else in life, my feelings about this kind of thing are pretty mixed and complex. If it helps you get a handle on me, however, one of the best summaries of my agnostic spiritual philosophy I've ever heard actually came from my martial arts teacher: "Just be a good person. Then, God will love you!" As simple, and as difficult, as that, I suppose.

Well, hopefully that provides a useful summary of who I am as a person. I hope to meet up with some interesting, good-hearted people through this site, so if I sound interesting to you in the slightest, let me know, and we'll talk!

I am artistic, philosophical, and compassionate

I'm currently getting my BA in English Literature and Russian, with plans to go on and pursue a masters and hopefully a Ph.D.

Apart from that, I'm also working as a freelance writer for a firm out of the UK, and doing some writing of my own for pleasure. I've written a few dozen short stories in my time, and completed one novel as well as most of a second.

I like to think I have some talent at writing and illustrating. I'd also say that I'm good at analyzing and interpreting art, as well as gaining psychological insights into people. Most people who know me say that I have an "almost psychic" ability to know what others are really thinking or feeling, and you might say that I consider this kind of empathy one of my best points.

I wasn't sure what to write here, so I asked a friend what the first thing that others notice about me is, and he replied "the weight of this gruesome world on your trembling shoulders, your wistful melancholy, and a longing for peace and resignation with this constant battle called life."

I take it as a compliment, I guess.

More seriously, all my friends have said that one of the first things they noticed about me was my eyes, and that I tend to always be the quiet and reserved one in any large group of people.

Books: "The Brothers Karamazov" - Fyodor Dostoevsky, "London Fields" - Martin Amis, "Les Miserables" and "The Toilers of the Sea" - Victor Hugo, "Against the Day" - Thomas Pynchon, "Lolita" and "Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle" by Vladimir Nabokov, "The Sea of Fertility" by Yukio Mishima, "The Red and the Black" - Stendhal, "The Stranger" - Albert Camus, "Franny and Zooey" - J.D. Salinger, "Neuromancer" - William Gibson, "Anna Karenina" - Leo Tolstoy, and many others.

Movies: "The Seventh Seal", "Wild Strawberries", and "Fanny and Alexander" - Ingmar Bergman; "Stardust Memories" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors" - Woody Allen; "Red" - Krzysztof Kieslowski; "8 1/2" - Federico Fellini; "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" - P.T. Anderson; "Touch of Evil" and "Citizen Kane" - Orson Welles; "Woman in the Dunes" - Hiroshi Teshigahara; "Ran" and "Ikiru" - Akira Kurosawa; "Tokyo Story" - Yasujiro Ozu; "Sansho the Bailiff" - Kenji Mizoguchi; "Casablanca" - Michael Curtiz, etc.

Music: 80s music, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Bauhaus, New Order, Sisters of Mercy, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mussorgsky, synthpop, some electronica.

Food: anything, really! I like Mexican, Italian, French, Chinese... I live with a classically trained chef, so I'm probably pretty spoiled when it comes to food! I also like beers and red wines - Guinness, Weihenstephaner Dunkel Hefeweisse, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, &c.

I'm going to refrain from listing something like "my friends" in this list, because everyone knows how essential that is.

1. My copy of "The Brothers Karamazov" - the answers to everything can be found here.
2. Autumn and Winter - the best seasons!
3. Dread and Melancholy - I mean this somewhat facetiously, but given that these two things are one of the primary sources of humor in my life, I couldn't do without them.
4. Baseball - the crack of the bat, the sound of a ball smacking into the mitt, seeing people putting their all into something night after night, the yearly drama of it all is something I enjoy a great deal.
5. Cute things - it might not sound very manly or very intellectual, but who doesn't need to see puppies and kittens, bunnies and squirrels now and then?
6. A Sense of Purpose - hopefully it doesn't sound trite, but I need to feel as if I'm moving towards something each day or else I get depressed. I like the feeling of advancement and ambition, what can I say?

I spend a lot of time thinking about... well, all the things that I enjoy in life. Literature, film, baseball, you name it.

In a more general way, I do find myself often thinking about certain philosophical questions, such as whether or not there's ultimately any universal justification that can be made for any particular ethical system, or what is the best way to live a good life.

I also enjoy idle speculation and day dreaming, such as thinking about all the "stories" going on in the world at any given moment; the idea that, all of the hundreds of people you pass by on any given day are all involved in some drama of immense importance to them, each of them with their own hopes and desires, trying to do the best they can, and it all somehow comes together to form the picture of history, and the world in its entirety. It's both humbling and inspiring to think about.

Basically, I spend a lot of time thinking about abstract nonsense!

Struggling furiously to meet a deadline?

I'd like to change that, though, and that's one of the reasons I'm signing up for this site. I'd like to be able to get out more often and do some things; maybe take in some shows, movies, concerts, go play games, or just hang out and talk with friends. Anything to shake up the routine, really.

I guess the most private thing I'm willing to admit here is that I sometimes struggle to maintain my sense of optimism and positivity. I often find myself worrying about life and incapable of relaxing as much as I know I should. I sometimes worry if this part of me will grow with age, to the point where I'm nervous more often than I'm happy.

Let's hope not!

You should message me if you're looking to talk with someone for any reason whatsoever! If you live in my area and want to do something, or if you live across the country and just want a pen pal, I'm interested in hearing from you. I'm interested in hearing about people's lives, dreams, and problems as well, so even if you just need someone to listen, you should drop me a line!