Dissertation Draft

Nyri A. Bakkalian is a queer Armenian-American and adopted Pittsburgher. She is an artist, writer, and historian whose work has appeared on Inatri, Metropolis Japan, Gutsy Broads, and Queer PGH. She has a soft spot for local history and unknown stories, preferably uncovered during road trips. When not hunting for unknown history, Nyri can most often be found sketching while enjoying a good cup of Turkish coffee. Check out her blog at sparrowdreams.com and come say hello on Twitter at @riversidewings

I took the photo “Dissertation Draft,” in the thick of my rush to write my doctoral dissertation. At the time, the struggle seemed endless. I had a fair share of people who would’ve had me believe the task to be ambitious but unrealistic. But if I’ve had one great motivator in life, it’s been the burning desire to prove wrong those who doubt me. So, as a snapshot of how things looked in the middle of that whirlwind of activity, I took a picture of my workspace– analog (paper), digital (computer and USB drive), plus fuel (coffee).