About Me

Totally Historic aims to make history and art accessible and entertaining to everyday readers. The idea for this blog came to me in grad school when I was writing a paper on Michelangelo. Naturally, I had to conduct a shit ton of research. While delving into the artist’s life and works, I encountered stories so amusing and incredible that I had to relay them to my husband. Each time I regaled him with another misadventure of Michelangelo, he questioned why he’d never heard these stories, why no one else had heard them. I mean, you can’t make some of this shit up it’s so outrageous. We realized that much of history is trapped in academic monographs written by scholars for other scholars. While these publications are important, they’re often the reason people say history is boring AF.

This blog, therefore, frees interesting stories from snooze-worthy academic prose full of jargon and unnecessarily complicated words. I refuse to write yet another scholarly book or article that only 7 people would read. My goal with Totally Historic is to reach a wider audience by engaging and educating readers without compromising academic integrity. Just because I drop f-bombs doesn’t mean I didn’t do my research.

Growing up in NYC with an Italian American father from the Bronx who cursed like a sailor, my style is direct, cuts through the bullshit, includes slang and pop culture references, and has some cursing. I realize this may be disconcerting to some readers, and if you don’t like it…you don’t have to read it. There are tons of academic and popular books you can check out that are likely more suited to your tastes. But if you want to explore history and discover art in an easy, approachable way, this blog is for you.

Now, a bit about me. Who the fuck am I to be writing about these topics? Well, I’ve got an extensive background I don’t want to bore you to death with. In a nutshell, I’m the crazy owner of 3 master’s degrees (don’t get this many, I do NOT advise) in relevant fields. The first is an MA in History, the second a MLIS in Library & Information Science with specializations in Archives & Records Management and Rare Books & Special Collections, and the third is an MA in Art History & Archaeology. I’ve been a professional archivist and collections manager for over 15 years, stewarding kick-ass archival & fine art collections. I’ve also worked in historic houses and academic libraries.

But enough of that stuff. I’m from Queens, New York, and now reside in Westchester with my husband. My best friend is a grumpy old Maltese who likes to bite ankles. I’m proud to be of Ecuadorian and Italian heritage. I’m into traveling, yoga, and mixed martial arts.

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