My name is Taiko Haessler and I am a PhD candidate in the Spanish and Portuguese department of the University of Colorado, Boulder. My research is focused primarily on the literature of the Medieval Iberian Peninsula and the broader Mediterranean region, its complex linguistic identities, uproarious sense of humor, and the effortless integration of the divine and the profane. I am beginning work on a dissertation centering on the textual and artistic production of the 14th century Portuguese monarchs, Don Denis, and his queen consort, Saint Isabel. The dissertation will explore their self-fashioning projects and their complex relationship with power and fame.
When I am not reading or writing, I train as a powerlifter in the gym. I also love hiking in the mountains with my husband and dog, doing embroidery projects, or cooking. I love vintage dishes and dresses and hats-- as I prefer the objects that come into my life to bring with them some chapters of their own.
