My main field is prose of the medieval era, particularly the random essay form (zuihitsu). I am interested in how texts come to be read as they are, which I approach through commentarial and reception histories, as well as genre study. The influences of Buddhist thought, gender, the various types of writing practiced in Japan, and musical modes of transmission guide my long-term research agenda. My current project concerns literary masquerade across gender (and other) lines. I am a co-founder of the Faculty Working Group RAMS, Reading Asian Manuscripts. In the past several years, we have hosted two symposia and three Penn-Cambridge Hentaigana and Kuzushiji Reading Workshops. History of the book, manuscripts, and printing are at the top of my current research agenda.