Jordy Samuels

Biography

In college, I made my own major in Folklore and Mythology, which included courses in Old Norse, Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Comparative Literature, Religion, Folklore, and Arthurian Legends. My major culminated in my thesis which focused on the understanding the character of Loki in Norse literature and how perspectives on his character have shifted over time through the lens of morality, gender identity, power, and liminality.

I finished my Masters in Information with a concentration in School Librarianship while working as a librarian at a school in Manhattan with wonderful colleagues and amazing kids who consistently inspire me.

I love history for the same reason I love mythology: it is full of fascinating stories and those stories are full of people (or gods/creatures that behave like people) making the most of the times in which they lived. These stories help us understand where we come from – our cultures, our beliefs, our symbols, our ancestors – and why we are who we are today. History is an extremely complicated, layered series of events, motivations, people, and circumstances and being able to understand even a small part of something that happened 1000 years ago (or more!) is a gift born of our persistence to understand. I also believe that history is at its best when it is an interdisciplinary endeavor and that we can all stand to learn something from each other. Even if its just an opportunity to learn about someone else's personal history or perspective, it helps us understand each other and, if we're patient, help us be more thoughtful and considerate members of our communities.

Terry Pratchett is my favorite author because his stories are always about people (even when they're about dwarves and trolls and witches and imps and small gods) and because he knew how to make a story full of awe and wonder without losing sight of the everyday things that makes us who we are.