Nerditude!

I’ve never been called a geek, so it’s a bit tricky to write a ‘Geek Manifesto.’ I’ve been called a nerd. A lot. I’ve been told the difference between nerds and geeks is something to do with a love of the sciences vs. a love of the humanities. I am not sure I believe this at all, but I’m just relaying the highly inaccurate facts as they’ve been laid out to me.

So, this is more of a Nerd Manifesto for me. Which, in a way, feels more right.

Where to start? I love old things. Ruins. Ancient civilisations. I took eight years of Latin in six years. Not because I was particularly brilliant—I was a hard core B student—but the classes were so small that we all got put into advanced placement regardless of our abilities. I have forgotten more than I knew.  I translated the Aeneid, Ovid’s Metamorphosis and Pliny’s letters. Last year when I went to Pompeii I had a complete moment of classics nerd meltdown. It was fantastic.  

Let’s not talk about the melting puddle of fangirldom I was when I spent my birthday at the Colosseum and then had absinthe and gelato at the Trevi Fountain at 1am. I might have wandered the streets in a haze touching the walls and squeeing when I found SPQR still engraved there. What a way to ring in a new decade, but I digress!

Anyway, I love old things. I love Greek and Roman myths. I have a few necklaces made up of ancient coins (or replicas of ancient coins). Several of them were birthday presents. I’m a walking encyclopedia of fairytales. I am a fan of good stories told with humour and beautiful prose.

For every clever thing I love I am enamored of something trashy. (I’m looking at you, Vampire Diaries and Revenge). 

I’m a fan of pop culture. I don’t believe in unicorns (sorry folks) but do believe rhinos deserve better PR.

I was thrown out of an Egyptian exhibit for taking a rather blurry photo of William the Hippo at the Met. I missed the big ‘no photos’ signs.

See! Blurry photo. Honestly, if they were going to kick me out they could have let me get a better photo first. 

I have a golden apple pi necklace which amuses me on so very many levels.

Oh, apple pi, you are deliciously clever.

I married a handsome Englishman who’s an accountant. He’s incredibly clever, witty, artistic and everything a girl could want in an Englishman (I’m looking at you, Mr. Darcy).

I have a crazytown knowledge of YA and as a day job I work in book marketing. Mostly genre books. Which has caused me to finally accept that I am a nerd. I do love fantasy and SF and all things YA. It’s taken me a long time to finally confess what a big nerd I am. Really, too long. I like my nerdish self so much more than my non-nerdish self.

I’m also beginning to accept I’m a nerd who has evil genius plans . . .

I just don’t know what they are yet. So yeah, that’s me. Welcome to my nerditude. (Also, I make up my own words. A lot.)