Kari Silvola

Kari Silvola explores what kind of knowledge can be produced through writing. In his autobiographical dissertation titled "A Darkroom of my Own: Confessions of a Male Model," he focuses on epistemological questions of the closet.

Key concepts in his research include the metaphorical closet, passing, and gaydar, through which he sheds light on new insights into internalized self-discrimination. Within the realm of writing research, his areas of specialization include autobiography, autoethnography, autofiction, and representations of masculinity. Silvola also serves as a book review editor for Taylor & Francis' NORMA International Journal of Masculinity Studies and as a university teacher in creative writing.

In 2023, he was a research fellow at UCLA in Los Angeles, where he conducted research on Tom of Finland. Based on the research, a non-fiction book titled "Kaarina–Los Angeles: In Tom of Finland's Bootsteps" is in progress.