FAQs
Q: How do you pronounce your last name?
A: In North American English, we say the 'i' like in 'Chris', the 'a' as in 'van', and emphasis on the second syllable. (I stole this explanation from my cousin.) If you speak British English, the second syllable may sound more like ZAHN. In the original you get some cool diacritics (Křižan) and arrive at the non-Anglicized pronunciation.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Michigan! Kalamazoo, to be exact. I've also lived in East Lansing, Michigan; London, UK; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; Fullerton (Orange County), California; Mobile, Alabama; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Durham, North Carolina.
Q: No, but where are you from?
A: My father's people went to the US from Prague and Moravia - Krizan is Czech/Moravian. My mother's people went over from Germany, in colonial times, and Greece, in the early 20th century - including from the beautiful island of Samos - so I'm probably a bit Turkish too =)
Q: Why philosophy?
A: I majored in political science as an undergraduate, intending to go to law school, but got sucked in by the political theory courses. Although I loved reading historical texts, and especially 'the ancients', I discovered that I enjoyed theoretical philosophy and preferred the methods of the Anglo-American tradition. So, I scrapped law school plans, picked up a second major in philosophy, and got to study historical texts as well as logic and metaphysics!
Q: Why 'Aristotle Rocks'?
A: My research interests in Aristotle tend toward the intersection of natural philosophy and metaphysics: I'm interested in matter, elements, and things made out of them, which happen to include...rocks. I also enjoy rock music and play drums. As a theoretical philosopher and natural scientist, Aristotle is really pretty \m/
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I enjoy playing the drums and cycling (mainly road cycling, with a bit of gravel). I am also a cat enthusiast
Q: Are you on social media?
A: I try my best not to be! Quit Facebook in 2012, never looked back.