Steven J. Zani is an interdisciplinary scholar with an MA in Philosophy and a PhD in Comparative Literature. He has worked at 2-yr and 4-yr institutions, state and private schools, faith-based and tribal schools, and overseas, with expertise in a wide range of topics, including publications and presentations in Literature, Philosophy, Drama, Art, Computer Science, Film, and History.
What is your favorite thing that you’ve written?
I have co-written an article on H.P. Lovecraft that was published in one of the Lovecraft annuals. I’m proud of it because it was a well-written piece (in part thanks to my co-author) and revealed elements of Lovecraft’s writing that were new to his critical history, among other things that Lovecraft uses the epistolary form of the work to generate anxiety to mirror the content. My most-cited article (and, second on this list) is another co-written article about medieval plague narratives and zombies.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Once when walking across campus, I found a bird, trapped in a bush after being tangled in a piece of string. It was wildly dangling and scrabbling about, exhausted but unable to free itself, and ignored by everyone walking past. I took a notebook to keep myself from being scratched, and with a pencil/pen managed to cut the string and free the bird. It flew away. I like to think I saved that bird’s life.
What is your favorite book of all time? (Or top 3). Why? To whom would you recommend them?
My favorite three short stories instead:
“A Rose For Ecclesiastes” – Roger Zelazny
“Gonna Roll the Bones” – Fritz Lieber
“The Malaysian Mer” – Jane Yolen
The first is about Martian prophecy and the futility of knowledge, the second is a classic narrative about a contest with the devil, and the third is about a little old lady who goes antique-shopping and ends up fighting for her life in a pocket dimension. As for actual books, I’m a really big fan of John Crowley’s book, “Little, Big,” and the most recent book I adored was Susanna Clark’s “Piranesi.” I find that I can’t recommend things to people anymore. My tastes have become esoteric enough that I can’t tell if someone else would find my recommendations pleasing to them. I tell people that I like books that punch me in the nose.
Who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman? Wonder Woman vs. Supergirl?
I worked in a comic bookstore throughout my entire time as an undergraduate. My favorite answer to these types of questions came from a 10-yr old regular customer. When asked, “Who would win between Superman and the Hulk?” He answered, “The Hulk would pull Superman’s brain out of his skull and show it to him before he died.” If you think about it, that 10-yr old (who went on to become a successful writer and lawyer—I’ve kept in touch), was profoundly correct. In superhero lore, the Hulk’s strength is theoretically limitless. That is because it is based on the depths of human aggression. How angry can he get? If you are a Freudian like me, you understand that our aggression is boundless; it is an abyss. There is no end to our Anger (nor our Love, but that’s another superhero battle altogether…)
What’s your favorite quote?
I cannot limit this to one quote; here are three:
“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard.” – Psalm 62:11
“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” – H.P. Lovecraft
(“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”)
“I knew nothing, and I persisted in the faith that the time of cruel miracles was not past.” – Stanislaw Lem
What cause or charity do you care about most?
I am a board member of Refugee Alliance International, a non-profit that provides support to those impacted by the traumas of war and conflict. Currently, we are providing financial aid towards surgeries and other medical problems caused by the conflict in Palestine, as well as finding homes for orphans due to the conflict, covering costs and facilitating placement in new homes.
What advice do you wish someone had given you?
Do not have so much anxiety about any of this.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend
Josey Aron
Josey Aron (Series Editor, APA Member Interview Series) is a law student at the University of Virginia. They hold a BA and MA in philosophy from the University of Alabama. Their primary research interests are applied ethics, social ontology, and philosophy of language. In their free time, Josey enjoys baking, hiking with their dog, and D&D.
