Excuse Mon Absence, Je Travaille à Paris

For years before I began raising funds recently for my work through a “Buy Me a Coffee” campaign and Gun Culture 2.0 merchandise, I subsidized my research expenses by stringing tennis rackets. I still do.

As I generally keep this work separate from my academic work (other than the flow of dollars), many who follow me here are not aware of this. But by way of explaining my absence/silence on this blog, I thought I would tear down the wall of separation and say excuse my absence, I am working in Paris right now at the French Open.

It is especially exciting that my son is here stringing at the tournament also.

We are in a stringing bubble within the tournament bubble, so I am not seeing any of Paris, but I did get the opportunity to check out the famous Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros.

Wilson Tennis has the contract to be the Official Stringing Service of the tournament for the next five years, so I am hopeful that I will be able to return here several more times, in the tournament’s regular May time slot, and without pandemic restrictions.

The ability to have this experience and to further my research on gun culture at the same time is a small blessing in a tough year.