Kaleth Torrens-Martin

I'm a recent graduate of Bard College in New York, where I studied Literature. I graduated with a B.A. in May 2023 (GPA 3.97). My education instilled a desire to delve into the heart pressing questions through close reading, critical thinking, and contemplation. The Socratic model of my courses heavily emphasized dialogue (oral and written) as a road to understanding. By virtue of this system, I learned the skills of conversation, disagreement, and perhaps the most underrated of all, the ability to listen earnestly to ones peers. I sincerely believe in the ethos of the Liberal Arts education which Plutarch said best: "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled" (Plutarch, On Listening to Lectures). Since graduation, I have sustained the fire of mind by expanding upon my thesis, Renaissance Self-Destruction: The Virtue and Danger of Chess in European Literature, which investigates the allure of chess play and distortions of reality in three disparate literary traditions. I've continued the work in a series of essays, by expanding the breadth of my research, and by continuing to improve as a chess player. I aspire to bring thoughtful curiosity, enthusiasm, and a disciplined work ethic to all aspects of my life, professional, interpersonal, and personal.

Renaissance Self-Destruction: The Virtue and Danger of Chess in European Literature, https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=senproj_s2023, 08/2023, My Undergraduate Thesis Focused on Chess in three disparate European Literary Traditions, primarily investigating chess as a simulacrum, and distortion of reality.

• Irma Brandeis Award
• Male Athlete of the Year (2019)

• Chess
• Reading
• Running
• Weightlifting
• Fiction Writing