The main reason why I didn’t post an annual academic update late last year was hidden in various obligations and deadlines of this nature that extended into 2026. More precisely, preparing one article for peer review until mid-January and a research proposal for the upcoming ESSE conference in Spain that was due mere two weeks later. So, now I’m happy to report that both tasks were done on time and that I’m pretty satisfied with how they turned out.
One other big thing academic-wise that happened is the publishing of the volume “Semiotic Approaches to Cultural Interactions, Images and Texts” (by Peter Lang, no less) which finally saw the light of day at the end of 2025, and to which I had the honour and pleasure of contributing a chapter on metonymy in cinema. Specifically, in science fiction pillars such as 2001 and Blade Runner/2049. Of course, my deep gratitude goes to the editors Ionela Neagu and Crina Herţeg for this great opportunity. The volume found its way from Romania to here earlier this year, and you can see how it looks like on the photos below (a little foretaste, shall we say?)
The upcoming conference in Spain came somewhat as a surprise to me, but when my former professor and PhD mentor Mario Brdar reached out with an invitation to join a panel on metaphor and metonymy in artistic expressions, the creativity inside was stirred and I immediately started brainstorming about certain research venues and alleys I could lead my mind into. I won’t reveal the winning idea, but I’ll give you a hint instead: Chekhov’s gun!
A few weeks ago I got the official confirmation of the acceptance of my talk proposal, so now it’s time again for some “academic action”. This and the opportunity to see my dear colleagues and again present alongside some of the absolute legends in the field (Brdar, Panther, Thornburg, etc.) fills me with oceans of excitement, so much so that I’d just like to staple every sentence here with an exclamation mark!
Here’s to a promising 2026!
