Department of Scandinavian Studies The University of Wisconsin-Madison Scandinavian Studies Department Newsletter

FALL 2009 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I A Message from the Chair, Kirsten Wolf

As this newsletter is being put together, faculty, staff, and students are busy wrapping up the fall semester. Our annual gløgg party on December 17th will mark the end of instruction. With forty undergraduate majors in the Department and no fewer than twenty-two graduate students, it has been a busy year for fac- ulty and staff, and we look forward to toasts and good cheer.

The fall semester has been both joyous and sad. We have had the pleasure of including among our faculty Visiting Fulbright Professor Kirsten Thisted from the Department of Minority Studies at the University of , who has taught a highly successful course on Greenland: Past, Present, and Future. We Inside this issue: have thoroughly enjoyed having Kirsten as a colleague.

The Department has also been very fortunate to receive not only a generous Department mourns 2 award from the Barbro Osher Foundation to support the Department's interna- Niels Ingwersen tional language floor Norden, but also a grant from the Seattle-based Scan|Design Foundation to support the teaching of Danish-related courses. The Visiting Professor 3 grant from Scan|Design will enable the Department to fund the teaching of a new literature course on Danish and Scandinavian science and crime fiction Kirsten Thisted (Criminal Utopias) during the spring of 2010 and 2011. We are most grateful for the two awards and also for many other gifts and donations, which are vital to Memories of the Depart- 4 helping the Department take advantage of special opportunities. ment by Harald Naess

At the same time, the Department mourns the loss of Emeritus Professor Niels Faculty/Staff Bios 5 Ingwersen, who retired from the University in 2004. Niels was one of the pillars of the Department for close to half a century, and his service to the Department and the University was exemplary. Niels was a legendary teacher and an ener- Grad Student Bios 7 getic, innovative, reliable, and enthusiastic colleague, when ideas had to be started and implemented, students had to be advised, and committees had to be Report from Student in 8 staffed. Niels was a prodigy of devotion to his profession, to his students and Bø colleagues, and to the University's mission. Scan | Design Grant 9 Language as Homeland Symposium Department Picnic 9 February 13, 2010, 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Pyle Center New Courses for Spring 10 Linguists have estimated that fully half of the some six thousand languages currently 2010 spoken on our planet will be extinct by the end of the next century. In spite of this depressing statistic, however, some communities are bucking the trend, choosing to retain or even regain a language in the face of major pressures to abandon it. In the free public symposium “Language as Homeland,” faculty from the University of Wisconsin will join with specialists from elsewhere in the US and to explore the reasons and workings of language maintenance in contemporary indigenous and ethnic communities. Why do communities choose to retain a native language? What challenges do they face in doing so? What roles do governments play in facilitating or foiling these efforts? Speakers at the symposium are drawn from the UW’s Scan- dinavian Studies, American Indian Studies, Folklore Studies, Jewish Studies, Linguis- tics, Language Institute, and Max Kade Institute for German American Studies. (Continued on page 6) Page 2 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Department mourns the loss of Emeritus Professor Niels Ingwersen was on narrative folklore. In 2009, The Nordic Storyteller: Essays in Honor of Niels If I had to somehow reduce almost a dec- Ingwersen was published in Cambridge, ade of experiences to a mere capsule sum- England. For his promotion of Danish mary, I would doubtless return to the literature and culture in the , summer of 2004, when I was preparing Niels was knighted on February 7, 1997, for a year of study in Copenhagen. As is with the Order of the Dannebrog, by so often the case in such matters, bureau- Queen Margrethe II’s representative. The cratic snags had held up my admission to Order, established in 1671, honors Dan- the University until the last minute, and ish citizens who have contributed to arts, the housing office had informed me that NIELS INGWERSEN sciences, and commerce. After his retire- the prospects of acquiring a desirable MAY 18, 1935 – NOVEMBER 14, ment in 2003, Niels and Faith began room at such a late date were grim. 2009 spending long summers outside Sheridan, Niels Ingwersen, age 74 passed away on where Faith had lived during her child- I was therefore rather taken aback when, Saturday, November 14, 2009, in the hood on her family’s ranch. The open only a week or so later, I received an en- HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg, Wis- skies and Western landscape held a spe- tirely unsolicited letter of invitation from consin. Niels was born on May 18, cial place in Niels’s heart. Confirming his Regensen, the oldest and the most hide- 1935, in Horsens, , to Hans belief in participatory democracy, Niels bound of the four original university resi- Henrik and Karen (Bach) Ingwersen. became a United States citizen and cast dence halls, located in the old Quar- He studied Scandinavian literature at his first presidential vote in the 2008 elec- ter in the very heart of the city. I had the University of Copenhagen, Stock- tion. Niels is survived by his wife, Faith, never really considered the possibility of holm University, and the University of in Madison; his brother, Jørn; nephew, the old kollegier; as far as I knew they were , where he met an American stu- Thomas; niece Bianca; and grand reserved for only the very top Danish dent from Wyoming, Faith Boswell nephew, Magnus, in Denmark; as well as students and required a long and involved Sloniger, who was to be the love of his his sister-in-, nieces and nephews in application process. life. Faith and Niels were married in Colorado and Oregon, and countless Tybjerg, Denmark in 1961. Together friends on both sides of the Atlantic. Things became even more curious when, they moved to the United States to Memorials may be gifted to the UW upon my arrival, I was installed in what I study at the University of Chicago, then Foundation’s “Faith and Niels Ingwersen would later learn to be the very same to Madison, Wisconsin, where Niels Fund,” US Bank Lockbox 78807, Mil- room (above the Krystalgade gate facing was appointed to the Scandinavian waukee, WI 53278. The Fund supports in towards the courtyard) in which Niels Studies faculty at the University of Wis- the Department of Scandinavian Studies had lived from 1955 until 1959. Not sur- consin in 1965. For almost forty years, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. prisingly, it did not at all take long for me Niels was a key faculty member at UW- A memorial service will be held Saturday, to push my suspicions into the back of my Madison, serving several times as chair December 5, 2009 at 1:30 PM at First mind; I was, after all, now a Regensen of Scandinavian Studies and Folklore as Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay indflytter , and despite my relatively ad- well as teaching thousands of students. Drive, Madison, WI 53705. vanced age, there was some serious fun to He also served as visiting professor at be had. the Universities of Odense and Aarhus Remembering Niels, a story by Ph.D. in Denmark and at UCLA. Niels won Candidate William Banks: I did not hear from Niels again until the several teaching awards for his popular end of October, when he sent me the courses on Scandinavian literature. A By the time I finally began my study here following message: multimedia version of his class on Hans at Wisconsin at the age of 31, it is rea- Christian Andersen had a record enroll- sonable to say that I had developed an When you are in the læsesal next time, ment of over 800 students and was one understanding of graduate school that, in please look at the bust of Hostrup; and if of the first to be offered through the all of its romantic grandeur, bordered on there is a small silver plaque on that University of Wisconsin Extension on the absurd. That I had the opportunity to bust—below his neck I assume—please public television. Niels was the author study under the tutelage of Niels Ing- let me know what it says. of several scholarly works on Danish wersen would, in spite of the loftiness of literature. In addition, he co-authored my expectations, insure that I would in The poet and playwright J.C. Hostrup, of two works with his wife, Faith, on Mar- no way be disappointed; indeed, I can say course, had been one of Regensen’s many tin A. Hansen and Martin Andersen in all honesty that matters have turned famous sons back in the mid-19th century; Nexø. His last book, released in 2008, out even better than I ever could have more importantly for us, his bust in the hoped. (Continued on page 6) Page 3 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I Visiting Fulbright Professor Kirsten Thisted

This semester, the Department is fortu- This task was not so easily achieved, as nate to have Visiting Fulbright Professor most literature from Greenland is not avail- Kirsten Thisted. Kirsten Thisted comes able in translation, so Kirsten had to learn Area: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice- from the University of Copenhagen, Greenlandic before she could begin her free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) where she is a member studies. She moved to Greenland for a of the Department of while and worked in a fish factory. This Population (as of 2000): 56,648; 15,047 in Minority Studies. helped some, but it was still frustrating for Nuuk; 47,000 in towns, 9,648 in settle- Kirsten is teaching the her on two counts. First, Greenlandic is a ments. course Greenland-Past, polysynthetic language not at all related to Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland- Present and Future and Indo-European languages, like Danish. Sec- born whites), Danish and others 12%. has given talks at the ond, she found that while she did learn University as well as some terminology while working at the Languages: Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) the Sons of Norway, factory, the scope of her learning was rather [Official]; Danish; English. Idun Lodge in Madi- limited. When she came back to Denmark, Greenlandic comprises three non- son. Her work focuses on Greenland; she she took language courses in Copenhagen at mutually intelligible : Western started out studying the literature and cul- the Institute for Eskimology, which greatly Greenlandic (official —used in edu- ture of Greenland, specifically relating to helped her learning of West Greenlandic. cation, government and media); Eastern oral traditions, but in more recent years Greenlandic; and Thule (Northern) she has focused on the political and cul- Kirsten continued her studies and com- Greenlandic. tural movements of Greenland and its pleted her Ph.D., learning more situation as a post-colonial society within Greenlandic in the process. After gradua- Important dates: and outside the . tion, she was employed for three years at Ilisimatusarfik (The University of Middle Ages: Greenland first settled by Although Kirsten has always been some- Greenland), which at the time was housed Scandinavians. Although it is known that what interested in Greenland, she states in an old Moravian mission. The university the Inuit had lived in Greenland during that her interest in Greenland began when has now moved to a new campus and has this time, it is unclear if and to what extent she was a child and she received a book grown somewhat, though many areas of they interacted with the Scandinavians. At about Greenlandic children. She was awe- study must be completed either in Denmark some point the Scandinavian settlements struck by the description of flowers or elsewhere. died out; the reason and date are un- blooming out of the snow, due to the known. The Inuit remained there. short growing season. She says that she Kirsten says that she misses her time in had also read about the Danish explorer Greenland dearly. She returns to Greenland 1721: Godthåb (Nuuk) was settled by of Greenland, Knud Rasmussen. Despite on occasion to serve as an external exam- . Greenland becomes a colony of this interest, she did not focus on iner at the university, to teach courses or to Denmark. Greenland in the beginning of her studies. conduct research. Since she has moved back to Denmark, she has also spent some sum- 1814: Norway becomes a part of the Kirsten’s studies at the University of Co- mers in Greenland with her husband, Leif, Swedish realm; Greenland remains a part penhagen, began with the study of Scandi- who works as a pilot. She misses the people of the Danish realm, despite protest from navian Literature. During her Mag. Art.- of Greenland, the food, and the sled dogs Norway. degree, she studied and wrote on Hol- of Northern Greenland the most. berg’s antique comedians. While she was a 1910-33: Knud Rasmussen explores arctic student, she taught at the police academy Some Information about Greenland: Greenland, especially Thule (Northern high school. One semester, she taught a Greenland) and the passage where the course on oral and written communication Name: Kalaalit Nunaat meaning, “Land of Inuit live, from Greenland, through Can- to students, who came from all over Den- the Greenlanders” ada and to Alaska. mark, as well as the and Greenland. The students had to give pres- Government: Autonomous Constituent 1953: Greenland becomes a part of Den- entations on various topics, one of which Country within the Kingdom of Denmark mark, losing its status as a colony. was a presentation on Greenlandic litera- ture by a student from Greenland. The 1979: Greenland achieves Home Rule. discussion of Greenlandic literature Flag: (Red and White) piqued Kirsten’s interest, and she decided 2009: Greenland achieves Self- to learn more about it. Government. Coat of Arms: (Blue and White) Page 4 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Memories of the Department (1959—1963) by Emeritus Professor Harald Naess The Department of Scandinavian Stud- then for two years in the Law Building, lectures and we enjoyed giving them. ies is the oldest in the nation, founded and from 1967 on the thirteenth floor of in 1875 by Rasmus B. Anderson. He Van Hise Hall. In 1963, 107 people were enrolled in was followed in 1884 by Julius Olson, a Scandinavian courses, in 1971 the num- very popular teacher who stayed on In the period from 1963 to 1973 the ber had risen to 479, with 203 students in until 1931, when Einar Haugen took Scandinavian Studies Department was the popular survey course Scandinavian over. I first met Einar Haugen at Cam- visited by 25 Scandinavian teachers and Life and Civilization. During Haugen’s bridge, England, in 1956, and, after six scholars. Best known among them were time at Wisconsin, a Ph.D. degree was years at the University of Newcastle Sven Linner, later professor at Turku, awarded in 1962 to Lloyd Hustvedt of 1953-59, Ann Mari and I and our three ; Nils Hasselmo, later President of Saint Olaf College, Northfield, whose children decided to move to Madison, the ; Jørgen El- dissertation on Rasmus B. Anderson was where a job in and bek from Århus University, Denmark; published in 1966. literature had been advertized. Einar Ronald Popperwell from Cambridge, Haugen, the best-known Scandinavian England; John Wuorinen from Columbia Not until the 1970s were new Ph.D. de- scholars in the U.S. at the time, went to University in New York; and Peter Hall- grees in Scandinavian Studies awarded, California for a year, then worked in berg from the University of Göteborg, Mary Kay Norseng (University of Cali- Madison for two years on a Norwegian- . fornia, Los Angeles) in 1975; Virpi Zuck English dictionary, and in 1964 ac- () in 1976; Kathy cepted the Victor S. Thomas Chair of During the early sixties summer courses Stokker (, Decorah) in Scandinavian and at Harvard were taught one year at Minnesota and 1978; and Jane Tammany (King Saud University. the next year at Wisconsin. The Minne- University, Riyadh) in 1979. In the 1980s sota chairperson, Alrik Gustafson, asked and 1990s Ph.D. degrees were granted to The 1960s turned out to be a period of me to give a course, not on Hamsun, Robyn Peterson (Yellowstone Art Mu- great expansion. Norwegian whom I knew well, but on Lagerkvist— seum, Billings, Montana) and Margaret continued to be the major Scandinavian one of Gustafson's personal friends— O’Leary (St. Olaf College); in 1993 to language, taught by myself and others which meant spending days and nights Sarah Paulson (University of Trond- from 1959 on. The teaching of Swedish studying the Swedish novelist and poet. heim); in 1996 to Ingrid Urberg was continued by Ingrid Clareus in Still, I was young, and the students were (Augustana University, Camrose, Can- 1959, and Danish was begun in 1961. all friendly. One of them wondered why I ada), and in 1997 to Dawn Tommerdahl Swedish literature was taught by Rich- always wore the same tie. He did not (Concordia College, Moorhead, Minne- Vowles from 1960, and he was for know that we lived, wife, husband and sota). many years chair of the Department of three kids, in a tent in a Minnesota park. Comparative Literature. Icelandic had Our children spent time bathing in Lake Now and then there must have been been taught sporadically in the past, but Independence. We got to know a Dutch some difficult moments, but I remember since 1966 courses were offered almost family with kids and visited them at their none of them from those 34 years at every year by Dick Ringler, who spent home in . Madison. We were all good friends, half of his time in the Department of thanks not least to our marvelous secre- English. was a new Dick and Karin Ringler invited Niels, tary, Judy Anderson. After leaving Madi- subject taught by Kim Nilsson from Kim and myself to their place on Wash- son I have published some volumes of 1965, and the same year saw the arrival ington Island, and it led to summer Knut Hamsun’s letters and, most re- of Niels Ingwersen, who taught Danish courses been offered in the Icelander cently, a 350-page volume explaining literature and who, like Dick Ringler, Thorarinsson’s large boat house on the Latin and Greek plant names. won prizes for excellency in teaching. neighboring Rock Island. Niels and I Scandinavian was taught by Pe- began with a course on Ibsen’s early plays ter Krosby from 1962-68, and, after he (to people, it appeared, who had not left for a position at the SUNY, by heard of Ibsen); later, summer courses Pekka Hamalainen. Scandinavian music were offered there by Dick Ringler on was taught by Professor Shetney of the Icelandic and by Dick Vowles on School of Music. I was chair of the De- Scandinavian films. Ringler, Ingwersen partment during the years 1959-60 and and I also gave evening lectures in Wis- 1961-68, Dick Ringler 1968-71, and consin on various aspects of life in Scan- Kim Nilsson 1971-73. The Department dinavia. Gradually, these talks were or- was housed in Bascom Hall 1949-65, ganized by Dean Howard Martin of the Extension Division. They were popular Page 5 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Our Faculty and Staff Julie Allen has been hard at work this He is now busy working with the Center for Russian, East Euro- past year on a book about the Danish pean and Central Asian Studies to plan BALSSI 2010, which will literary critic Georg Brandes and the offer even more courses and programming in the languages and Danish silent film star Asta Nielsen, both cultures of Estonia, Latvia, and . He is enjoying his work of whom were among the most interna- as director of the Folklore Program and is busy teaching a course tionally famous Danes of the pre-World on Sámi as well as intensive Finnish. War II era. Her book examines the ways in which Brandes and Asta marketed a Last spring Peggy Hager worked with UW’s modern Danish national identity to the world during the time that International Academic Programs to establish Denmark was struggling to develop and embrace that modern iden- the International Summer School in Oslo as an tity on the domestic front. In connection with this book project, official UW program. Although our university Julie spent several weeks in Denmark this summer, at the Danish has been sending students to the Summer Film Institute and the Georg Brandes Archive. She anticipates com- School for many years, UW students may now pleting the book and placing it with a publisher this year. Julie has more easily transfer credits and remain in residence when abroad. also developed a new Honors course on Scandinavian Modern de- Peggy is also helping Madison independent film director Eric Nel- sign and the societal changes that helped bring it about, which she is son reach out to community groups in the Madison area. Last teaching this fall for the first time. spring Eric Nelson showed his film Fishin’ for Tradition: The of Lutefisk at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Jim Leary and Peggy Hager Judy Anderson is nearing 33 years working in the are interviewed in the film. Peggy and Eric recently showed the film department. She has started yoga this year, enjoyed and led a discussion at Madison’s Idun Lodge Sons of Norway Fish gardening in the summer and is the department Boil. Other area groups who might be interested in a film showing compost queen. She traveled to the Dominican and discussion may contact Peggy Hager ([email protected]). In- Republic last winter with her special friend, Brenda. formation about the film is available at She and John continue to enjoy the peaceful coun- http://www.lutefiskmovie.com try living with their cats and dogs. Jim Leary’s “Nordic Legends in the New World: Susan Brantly stepped down as President of the The Case of Big Erick Erickson” appeared in the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian 2009 edition of Arv: Nordic Yearbook of Folklore. He Study at the end of the annual meeting held in organized sessions in May on Finnish American Madison this past May. The meeting was a logistical politically radical and bawdy songs for SASS and challenge, but a great success. She continues to be for the Labor and Working Class History Associa- active as Director of the Bradley Learning Commu- tion. Thanks to a summer fellowship from the Na- nity and the Director of the Center for European tional Endowment for the Humanities, he contin- Studies. The release of Niels Ingwersen’s festskrift, ued work on “Folksongs of the Other America: Field Recordings The Nordic Storyteller, and the publication of her arti- from the Upper Midwest, 1937-1946,” a multi-CD/book produc- cle on Sven Delblanc in Comparative Literature early in the year were tion. Leary presented “The Accordion and the Making of Working causes of celebration. She was touched to be presented an Honored Class Culture Along Superior’s South Shore” in September for the Instructors Award, a student-nominated award, by University Hous- Sonderegger Symposium on Upper Peninsula Culture at Northern ing this past spring as well. Her trip to Sweden over the summer Michigan University. In November he traveled to Finland as an was most useful and refreshing. She is enjoying teaching Strindberg invited speaker for an event honoring Finnish American accordion- again this semester and looks forward to her course on Scandina- ist Viola Turpeinen. In addition, Leary continues to collaborate with vian Decadence in the spring. grad students Anna Rue and Carrie Roy on a website devoted to Norwegian American Folk Music. Tom DuBois spent the spring semester on sab- batical. He saw the publication of his new book Scott Mellor has been continuing his work with An Introduction to Shamanism, which came out in undergraduate , especially with first year the Religions of the World series of Cambridge Uni- students. The Freshman Interest Group (FIG) versity Press. In addition to work on articles and that he is teaching this fall includes an additional another book project, Tom helped arrange the section for first-year Swedish thanks to a grant program for the 2009 SASS conference here in from the Swedish Institute. This new section has Madison and a special Sámi studies preconference held just before. had the effect of raising our numbers in our first He also worked hard to plan the Baltic Studies Summer Institute year classes, which he hopes will continue throughout all sections of (BALSSI), which was held here this past summer with great success. Swedish in the future. The International Language floor, Norden, is stronger this year with 5 student thanks largely to a grant from the Page 6 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Our Faculty and Staff Continued Remembering Niels, cont. Barbro Osher foundation. Scott continues to teach courses in litera- (Continued from page 2) ture and folklore. On the research front, he spent some of the sum- reading room had long been a key player in the ongoing feud be- mer on Åland, an island between Sweden and Finland in the Baltic tween ourselves and our rivals across Store Kannikestræde, Elers to work on a new project on the boat culture of that area. He will Kollegium. It seems that, back in his student days, Hostrup had be delivered some of his findings at the American Folklore Society briefly resided at Elers before treacherously decamping for Regen- Conference in Boise, Idaho, this fall. sen. The Elers residents still to this day commemorate this act of betrayal by making off with Hostrup’s head whenever opportunity Since last year, Nete Schmidt has continued teach- presents itself. ing (and culture) first through fourth semester, as well as being undergraduate ma- Needless to say, I immediately made tracks for the reading room, jors adviser. At present, we have 40 undergraduate quickly to discover the plaque, which reads: Scandinavian Majors. At SASS 2009, she presented a Skænket til Regensen af Niels Ingwersen paper on the Danish author Svend Åge Madsen, and an article about two of his books is forthcoming in Could it be possible that Hostrup had been a gift from Niels? An November. Her interest in Scandinavian science fic- emergency meeting of senior regensianere was called, dusty old ar- tion and the crime story has led to a new 400-level course being chives were consulted, opinions varied from “impossible–this Ing- offered in the spring called “Criminal Utopias,” funded by the wersen fellow is some kind of joker” to “maybe it really isn’t all that Scan|Design Foundation. The weekly Danish language table is go- old.” In the end we decided that maybe it was more in the spirit of ing strong, and the Danish book-club is in its 3rd year with monthly the place simply to let the matter rest. Leave it for future residents meetings. This semester, she is teaching Danish and The Tales of to puzzle over. And somehow, when Niels and Faith visited later Hans Christian Andersen. that year, I managed to resist the temptation to ask Niels if Tanya Thresher began her sabbatical year he had had anything to do by presenting a paper at the 12th Interna- with my improbable residential tional Ibsen Conference held at Fudan Uni- good fortune. I think, in the versity in Shanghai, China. As this was the end, he preferred it that way. first time the conference was held outside the West, it offered a marvelous opportu- Niels in the library at Regensen nity to meet colleagues that do not normally frequent the US circuit with bust in background. and to be reminded again of the global impact and relevance of Ibsen. Conference participants attended the Chinese premiere of Lady from the Sea, which was set in 1930s Shanghai as a musical, and Language as Homeland, cont. heard of Ibsen’s continued popularity in India, among other things. The cross-cultural exchange acted as a stimulus for further work on (Continued from page 1) Ibsen’s status as a world dramatist, something Professor Thresher Together with eminent specialists invited from outside of the uni- hopes to investigate further when she visits India to give a lecture versity, speakers will explore the workings of language maintenance on Ibsen’s women. In the meantime, she is enjoying working on her or revival among speakers of New Norwegian, Sámi, Ojibwe, Ibsen and melodrama book and developing some new courses while Hmong, Pennsylvania German, , and other languages. They in Dubai with her family. will explore the linguistic diversity of ethnic America and the ways in which communities find a sense of self, of place, of continuity, Kirsten Wolf is in her third and, for the time being, and of perseverance in the future of the languages they speak. The last year as department chair. She continues her work symposium is part of the UW’s Year of the Humanities program on editions of some hitherto unedited hagiographical and is free and open to the public. Please join us for all or part of -Icelandic texts and her studies of medieval this day-long event! For more information, see the symposium Scandinavian color terminology. Last year, she signed homepage at a contract with Saga Forlag in to translate six of the Sagas of into Danish; she has fin- http://tadubois.com/Language_as_Homeland_Net_Folder/ ished four of the translations and hopes to be done with the transla- LanguageAsHomeland.htm tion projects in early 2010. Kirsten spent a good portion of the summer of 2009 in , especially Denmark, where she did research in the Arnamagnaean Collection in Copenhagen. When she’s not engaged in teaching, research, or meetings, she likes to play the piano or spend time with her daughter gardening, jogging, kayaking, skiing, and skating. Page 7 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Graduate Students Jenny Aune: Susanne Fahn I am a doctoral student in Old Norse and am writing my disserta- As a freshly-baked Ph.D. candidate, I am ex- tion on Silence in the Sagas. I work in the English Department at cited to research how codicology can be used to Iowa State University where I teach introduction to literary study, reconstruct the history of Icelandic composition classes, and honors seminars on the Vikings. I have containing Njáls saga, as well as the history of earned several teaching awards, including an award for Excellence reading and reception. I also currently teach in Teaching First-Year Composition, and Collaborator and Out- Modern Icelandic to a small, but very enthusias- standing Innovation Awards for Exemplary Contributions to Iowa tic group of students. State Learning Communities. Randolph Ford William Banks I took my MA exams this past spring and spent a I am currently working toward the completion of quiet summer in Madison. I am currently working my dissertation on the Danish kulturradikalismen primarily with Snorri’s Heimskringla—his use of ne- movement and the foundation of the social wel- crologies and his descriptions of character and per- fare state. My latest contribution to the Søren sonality. This fall I am a TA for the Masterpieces Kierkegaard Forskningscenteret’s series Sources, course which has been great so far. Reception and Resources, on J.P. Jacobsen, is scheduled to appear shortly. In December I will Tim Frandy give a paper on Georg Brandes at the University of Wisconsin- After spending last year of fellowship conducting Madison’s In a Few Wor(l)ds: The World Literature/s Conference. fieldwork for my dissertation in the Upper Midwest, I am teaching this semester, finishing up an article Christopher Bishop on Finnish-American IWW songs, and preparing to I am continuing my program at Madison while writ- spend the next nine months in Rovaniemi, Finland. ing grant proposals for research in Uppsala, Swe- In Rovaniemi, I will be studying at the University of den. This semester, my coursework balances Folk- Lapland and interviewing Finnish and Sámi hunters, lore and Old Norse through classes concerning the fishermen, and berrypickers. Sámi peoples of Northern Scandinavia and Paleog- raphy. I am still a Comm-B TA, but am newly as- Mathew Holland signed to the Masterpieces lecture. I received my B.A. in History with honors from the University of Oregon in 2006 and I am working Jackson Crawford towards an M.A. in . Currently, I am I am now a second-year PhD student on studying at the University of Århus for a project that the philology track and plan to take my traces the history of sword-making technology prelims in May. I spent the summer at the throughout the Scandinavian Iron Ages. studying Landsmål/ and improving my Norwegian Todd Michelson-Ambelang generally. I am currently the resident gradu- I took my preliminary exams in May and am currently ate student language coordinator at Norden House. working on my dissertation, which examines the concep- tion and reception of mental and physical disability in John Eason Medieval Norway and Iceland through literary, linguistic My name is John Eason and I am a doctoral candidate and legal analyses. I am currently teaching first year Nor- in Scandinavian Studies. My partner and I reside in wegian. . I am currently working on a dissertation that explores the role “schlager” music and so-called “schlagerfestivals,” i.e. Melodifestivalen and Euro- Kjerstin Moody vision Song Contest, play in gay Swedish culture and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the department focusing identity. on 20th century Swedish and Finnish poetry. This fall I’m teaching intermediate Swedish, and in Oc- Sara Fagen tober I presented a paper on Lars von Trier’s film I received my BA from the University of Texas at Aus- Dogville at the Foreign Language Film Conference tin in Scandinavian Studies. Currently I am a first year at the University of Southern Illinois. This past MA in Scandinavian Literature (highlighting Sweden). I summer I taught intensive beginning Swedish at am also working as a TA for the H.C. Andersen class. the University of Illinois. Page 8 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Graduate Students Continued

Rachel Willson-Broyles Ernest Rockwell I am a Ph.D. student in Scandinavian Philology. I am currently Professor of History and Government at New My focus is modern Swedish, linguistics, and liter- Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, NM. I will be wrapping up ary translation. This semester I am excited to be my PhD in August of 2010. So, needless to say, I am writing, teaching the first-semester Swedish portion of the writing, and writing in between the seven courses I teach each Freshman Interest Group “The World of the Vi- semester. No rest for the wicked. kings.” I’m also teaching fifth-semester Swedish and preparing for my preliminary exam. Carrie Roy I am currently a Folklore 100 TA and ex- Ayako Yoshimura cited to be working on my dissertation ti- I am a candidate for a special committee PhD in folklore, tled “Practical Fastenings of the Supernatu- focusing on material culture and East Asia. I have been ral,” which examines the intersection of working as a PA in Memorial Library since January to creative processes (metalworking, wood- develop the Japanese Studies collection, and it may sound working, textile work) and the pre-Christian as though I am completely detached from Scandinavian Nordic belief system. I have also enjoyed presenting at national folklore, but not to worry—my new colleagues, John and international conferences this year. Dillon and Julianne Haahr, make sure that I keep up with it.

Anna Rue I am currently conducting research for my dissertation with the help of the Barbara Morgridge Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. For two years I have been working with Professor Jim Leary on Student at Høgskolen i Bø, Telemark – Thanks a Norwegian-American Folk Music Archive project. My disser- to Support from Sons of Norway, Idun Lodge tation will build on this work and will consider the ways in which ethnicity continues to be expressed through music. My name is Anjuli Brekke, and because of the generous support of the Jason Schroeder Sons of Norway, Idun Lodge Scholarship I have been able to study I am in my second year now and my research abroad in Norway for the year. My semester at Bø College in Telemark interests have shifted to a focus on the Swed- is in full swing, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience here thus ish ballads and how singers and audiences far. I am not only polishing my Norwegian in the classroom, but am also create meaning and relate narratives in ballads. gaining fluency by speaking with my new Norwegian friends here in Bø. I have also taken an interest in 19th-century Swedish Romantic literature. This semester I I have also been immersed in the beautiful nature of the Telemark re- am teaching beginning Swedish. gion. One of the classes I have chosen involves excursions into the Nor- wegian wilderness. Although the excursions seemed a bit intense at first, Natalie Van Deusen the rush when standing on top of a mountain you just scaled is unparal- I am a PhD dissertator working on a new edition leled, and well worth the rigorous climb. I would like to thank Sons of of the Old Norse-Icelandic legend of Mary Mag- Norway again for allowing me to participate in this enriching and unique dalen and Martha. I am also the 2009-10 Birgit experience. Baldwin Fellow, and am currently doing doctoral research at the Arnamagnæan Collection in Co- penhagen, Denmark, where three of the manu- scripts containing my legend are housed.

Hilary Virtanen Having completed coursework, I am Assis- tant Editor of the Journal of Finnish Studies, for which I’m planning a special issue with Jim Leary on music. As a Center for the Humanities HEX Scholar, I work with Nuestro Mundo Community School in Anjuli Brekke (right) and friend in Norway Madison. I also teach intensive Finnish with Tom DuBois. Page 9 VOLUME XII, ISSUE I

Danish Teaching Grant from the Scan | Design Foundation In August 2009, the Scandina- the 1970s and 80s. Jens and relations. Jens became inter- found on the Scan | Design vian Studies Department was Inger leveraged their retail suc- ested in pain research in Aal- Foundation website, awarded a generous grant from cess into opportunities for borg in 2000 and decided to the Seattle-based Scan | De- strengthening Danish- dedicate part of his fortune to www.scandesignfoundation.org sign Foundation to support the American relations. They were supporting both clinical and teaching of Danish-related very active in the Rebild Foun- basic science research aimed at The Scan | Design grant is a courses at the University of dation, which hosts an annual understanding and alleviating wonderful boon to the depart- Wisconsin-Madison. The Scan 4th of July celebration in Re- pain, offering scholarships and ment, especially during these | Design Foundation board of bild, Denmark. In 1971, they internships in collaboration times of financial hardship, and directors awarded us a one- inaugurated an internship pro- with the International Associa- the Department of Scandina- time grant of $22,428 to fund gram in collaboration with the tion for the Study of Pain vian Studies wishes to extend two semesters of Danish litera- American-Scandinavian Foun- (IASP). Cross-cultural under- its warmest thanks to the Scan ture courses during the 2009- dation, that allowed Danish standing between Denmark | Design Foundation for this 2011 academic years. The grant students to come to Seattle as and America was one of the generous support, which we will fund the teaching of a new interns to work in the Scan | couple’s lifelong interests; the hope will be just the beginning literature course, Criminal Uto- Design stores and become Scan | Design Foundation of a long and mutually- pias, taught by Senior Lecturer familiar with the American way supports a wide variety of beneficial relationship between Nete Schmidt, during Spring of life. Between 1971 and civic, cultural, community-, and our two institutions. Semester 2010 and 2011, which 2001, a total of 147 Danish university-based programs will be a welcome and much- interns participated in this pro- designed to create opportuni- needed addition to our current gram. Jens became increasingly ties for Danes and Americans course offerings in the area of involved in furniture manufac- to learn more about each Danish studies. turing as well, purchasing the other’s cultures. Under the The Scan | Design Foundation Danish furniture maker leadership of Director Mark is the legacy of two Danish Trekanten in 1992. He also Schleck, the Scan | Design immigrants, Jens Bruun and realized a lifelong dream of Foundation has been awarding Inger Berg, who were married opening a furniture store in grants to universities in sup- in Denmark in 1957 and emi- Denmark with the inauguration port of Danish studies since grated to Washington state in of a Scan | Design store in 2004, primarily to the Univer- 1961, settling in Bellevue, Aalborg in 2000. Inger died in sity of Washington and Port- where they opened the first 1987 in Seattle and was buried land State University, but this Scan | Design furniture store in Denmark, while Jens died in grant to the University of Wis- in 1964. Thanks to the tremen- Aalborg in 2002. consin marks the Foundation’s dous popularity of Scandina- Shortly before his death, Jens decision to extend the same Inger Berg and Jens Bruun, founders vian modern furniture in mid- established the Inger & Jens generous support to the oldest of Scan | Design 20th century America, Scan | Bruun Scan | Design Founda- Scandinavian Studies depart- Design grew into a chain of tion, with two major aims: ment in the United States. stores in Washington, Oregon, supporting pain research and More information on the foun- and Hawaii over the course of promoting Danish-American dation and its work can be

Departmental Picnic The Scandinavian Studies De- The social gathering offered partment started the new fall the perfect opportunity to wel- semester with its annual de- come visiting professor Kirsten partmental picnic. Faculty and Thisted and new graduate stu- staff together with their fami- dent Sara Fagen. Susan Brantly lies and partners enjoyed the and Scott Mellor kindly pre- beautiful weather on Saturday, pared brats and vegetarian September 12, at Westmore- sausages, and everyone land Park on the near west side brought along delicious side of Madison. dishes and desserts. The buffet offered everything from as- Department of Scandinavian Studies The University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dept. of Scandinavian Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison 1306 Van Hise Hall 1220 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706

Phone: 608-262-2090 Fax: 608-262-9417 E-mail: [email protected] www.scandinavian.wisc.edu

Departmental Picnic New Courses offered in Spring 2010 sorted Criminal Utopias (Scan St 436/ Nynorsk (Scan St 405): cheeses and LitTran 324): The two written languages of Norway, crackers to Past decades have seen a steady rise in Nynorsk and Bokmål, have long been home-made pitted one against the other, as to mustard, the production of especially Scandina- cole slaw, vian crime novels and films, and the which is the more “authentic” and cor- salads, science fiction genre, as well as the rect form of Norwegian. In “Nynorsk cakes, and related fantasy genre, has also become språk og kultur” we will investigate the fruits. Good conversation on a variety of better represented in the company of historical, political and linguistic factors topics accompanied the meal, and a lovely what has traditionally been labeled that made Nynorsk/Landsmål what it time was had by all who attended. “good and valuable literature.” The was and continues to be in the present. Scandinavian region is a peaceful part We will investigate Nynorsk poetry and of the world, but it is also home to prose and look into whether or not (Thanks to Elly excellent science and crime fiction some genres of literature are better Fine for the suited for Nynorsk. We will explore pictures.) authors, whose writings are based on and question the concept of the wel- dialectic changes and how to translate fare state. Science and crime fiction or convert from one language to the offer excellent opportunities to discuss other. We will look at the use of dialect Annual Gløgg Party the personal identities, beliefs, world- in both Nynorsk and Bokmål, the idea Thursday, December 17 views, and ethical values of individuals of the snakk dialect, skriv nynorsk move- and societies while relating them to ment, the idea of Samnorsk, and what at 4:30 PM our own existence. The theoretical the future holds for these languages. 1418 Van Hise background will involve British and American texts, providing a historical perspective on the genres.

Editors: Kirsten Wolf, Julie Allen, Susanne Fahn, Hilary Virtanen, Rachel Willson-Broyles, & Todd Michelson-Ambelang