Svetistephen76

I was an academic for 25 years, teaching in England (where I earned my M. Phil and Ph.D.), France, and in the USA. I taught Victorian Studies (history and literature), the 19th century novel, and the Western Classical Tradition. After leaving academia I was Director of Education at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, then VP at the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Director of National Affairs at the American Jewish Committee, Member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and finally Senior Policy Director and then Senior Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.
I'm a serious thinker with a broad intellectual background. I write fiction, paint, and inhale the best classic and contemporary literature and history.
I stated collecting toy soldiers when I was 7 or 8, and I've continued (with a break during college) to the present day. I'm drawn to fine military miniatures as a product of my love of history and art. (I studied at the Art Students League and at one time wanted to make a career as an artist). I mostly "round" figures but also love flats, and made the pilgrimage to the Plassenburg Castle in Kulmbach, Bavaria, which houses the largest collection in the world. I love to travel in Europe, spend time on Cape Cod, and hike in the Adirondacks. I love art galleries, museums, and am a chamber music fanatic. I have two wonderful daughters (both academics) and three splendid grandsons.