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LawrLawrencíanencían ChrChronicleonicle 20052005 The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas Vol. XVII Edith W. Clowes, Editor No.1 www.ku.edu/~slavic/ June 2005 Slavic Faculty Welcomes New Colleague in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature This fall we LC: Why did you decide to enter gradu- Goncharov. In addition, I consider both will welcome ate school in Slavic? ecclesiastical and secular texts of Old Professor Russian literature in order to create a Kerry Sabbag KS: After graduating from college I de- base for a broader consideration of the (PhD 2005, cided to take time off from academia in treatment of fame in literature. With the Brown) to the order to determine if it was the right path advent of Romanticism, many nine- Slavic Faculty for me. After working in an office en- teenth-century writers looked to at the Univer- vironment for several years, I learned a Russia’s cultural and historical past in sity of Kan- lot about time management, customer their quest to shape a national and per- sas. In order service, and how to handle non-aca- sonal identity. to acquaint demic stress. After a while, though, I In the nineteenth century Russian the KU com- found myself wanting new challenges, writers encountered what I call the West- munity with Professor Sabbag and her even hoping for a difficult problem or ern “fame text,” a tension-laden dis- work, the Lawrencian Chronicle con- confrontation, and realized how bored course comprised of Greek and Roman ducted an interview with her. I had become. Then I knew that I was values as well as Old and New Testa- ready to go back to academia in pursuit ment writings on earthly fame. By this LC: How did you become interested in of those challenges. time, Russians brought to the table their Russian? own strong “counter-tradition” born of LC: What are your main areas of inter- and shaped by their experience of East- KS: I knew in high school that when I est in teaching? ern Christianity. Ambiguous biblical got to college I wanted to study Rus- passages on earthly fame, writings of sian, probably because it seemed exotic. KS: I am particularly passionate about Western philosophers and religious During my senior year our final assign- language teaching, because it encour- thinkers—such as Augustine, Thomas ment for English class was to choose a ages creativity, presents challenges (no Aquinas, and the Protestant Reform- book (from a list) and write on it. Most matter how many times you’ve taught ers—suggested that praise or fame from of the class chose Albert Camus’ The the course), and allows students to bond one’s fellow man could be deemed vir- Stranger; as soon as I saw Anna with each other and the teacher. I’m tuous if based on good deeds that might Karenina on the list I knew it was time looking forward to teaching literature serve as an example to others and if to take the plunge into Russian litera- and culture-oriented classes at KU and God’s role in all acts was honored. Rus- ture. Once I figured out how to deal hope to have the opportunity to team- sian Orthodoxy never accepted this in- with all of the long, strange names, I teach a course someday. terpretation of the Gospel; instead vir- really enjoyed the book; that is, until I tue was forged through rejection of got to the end. I was absolutely devas- LC: Tell us a little bit about your dis- worldly deeds. tated by the final scene with Anna, and sertation. What are your main areas of My dissertation explores the ten- ran to my teacher to ask if maybe I had interest in research? sion between imported and native views read a bad translation or somehow not of fame in literary texts. In my view, a understood the scene. I think the im- KS: My dissertation addresses the im- number of religious concepts molded pression that moment of contrast be- portance of individual fame in Russian the Russian outlook—humility, an em- tween elation and despair made on me culture as expressed in literary texts. I phasis on the ephemeral nature of probably sealed my fate. I began study- work primarily with nineteenth-century earthly life, and the otherworldly, ascetic ing Russian language my first year in literature, a period of rapid change in ideal embodied in the monastic life, the college, and, as my interest grew, soon literary and cultural movements. My icon, and the figure of the “holy fool” discovered that I had become a Russian discussion incorporates a variety of au- (an ascetic figure who feigns madness major. thors, including Pushkin, Gogol, in order to reject social norms in favor Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, and Continued page 6 1 Losses to the KU Slavic Family Herbert Galton (1917-2004), professor in the Slavic published both in Croatia and the U.S. He served during the Department from 1962-1988, passed away on December 9, 1988–89 and 1989–90 academic years as a Fulbright visiting 2004. He received his PhD in 1951, and published extensively scholar, teaching Croatian language and literature at the on topics of Slavic synchronic and diachronic linguistics. His University of Kansas and University of Illinois at Champaign- Main Functions of the Slavic Verbal Aspect (Skopje, 1976) Urbana. His courses were extremely popular, which played a was ahead of its time. role in the exceptional renewal of his Fulbright contract for a second year. In the following years he collaborated with the Miljenko Kovacicek (1955–2004) Slavic Department as a summer-school teacher for the KU The Slavic Department lost a dear friend and colleague in Croatian language program in Zagreb under the auspices of December 7, 2004 when Miljenko Kovacicek passed away the Croatian Heritage Foundation. Since 2002 he served as a suddenly and unexpectedly at his home in Zagreb, Croatia. partner in developing a new summer Croatian-language Miljenko had worked since 1979 at the Center for Foreign program in Zagreb and Dubrovnik with the Center, KU Study Languages as a teacher of English and Croatian. He earned a Abroad and the KU Slavic Department. The latter program BA in English Language and Literature from the University has been particularly successful in the training of advanced of Zagreb in 1979 and completed an MA in American literature graduate students from many leading universities in the United in 1992, also from Zagreb University. His MA thesis concerned States, and Miljenko’s contributions will be greatly missed. Characters in the Novels of Saul Bellow for which he Miljenko leaves his wife, Mirna Jemric, and a teenage conducted interviews with Mr. Bellow in Chicago. Miljenko daughter, Ana. Mirna is currently preparing a bilingual edition was also a prominent poet and translator on the literary scene of Miljenko’s as yet unpublished poems. in Croatia whose translations of poetry both into Croatian and —MLG English have been widely acclaimed, and his poetry has been AKO ME NE BUDE | IF I’M NOT HERE Miljenko Kovacicek Ako me ne bude If I’m not here jedne …udesne ve…eri na moru one marvelous evening at the sea kad odlaze ribari s mrežama nade when the fishermen go out of their nets of hope neka samo odu nepomuƒene noƒi. just let them go out into the impassive night. Ako mene bude If I am here recite im samo just tell them to neka tiho pletu vrijeme. plait the time quietly. Ja spavam. I’m sleeping. A ako me bude And if they wake me jedne …udesne ve…eri na moru one marvelous evening at the sea kad odlaze ribari s mrežama nade when the fishermen go out with their nets of hope u njihove o…i into their eyes stavio bih zvijezde. I’d put stars. English translation MLG* * The poem was sent to Marc L. Greenberg by Mirna Jemric from Miljenko’s e-mail account the day following his death with the subject line “Good-bye from Miljenko.” In response to this touching farewell from a sensitive and talented poetic soul Marc offers this translation as his farewell to Miljenko. 2 SLAVIC HONORS RECEPTION April 6, 2005 Recognition for Excellence in Polish Elementary Polish Intermediate Polish Michael Johnson, Anna Slomka Albert Chmielewski, Professor Andrzej Karcz Advanced Polish Maria Kamanska, Professor Karcz Molly Mackinnon, Professor Karcz In this issue: New Faculty Welcome ... 1 Student News ..................... 7 Faculty News ..................... 8 Losses to KU Slavic ....... 2 Graduate Student News ... 7 Chairman’s Corner ........ 11 Honors Reception ....... 3-6 KU Alumni News .............. 7 Upcoming Events ............ 12 3 Recognition for Excellence in Croatian and Serbian Elementary Croatian and Serbian Erin Moulton, Ms. Marta Pirnat-Greenberg Omur Yilmaz, Ms. Marta Pirnat-Greenberg Intermediate Croatian and Serbian Advanced Croatian and Serbian Kelly Knickmeier, Ms. Marta Pirnat-Greenberg Ms. Pirnat-Greenberg, Sidney Dement, Professor Steve Dickey Recognition for Excellence in Ukrainian Danon Park, Ms. Yaroslava Tsiovkh Outstanding Graduate Students Outstanding student in elementary Turkish: Eric De Rutherford. Sidney Dement, Erin Moulton, Professor Stephen Parker 4 Recognition of Excellence in Russian Elementary Russian Kelly Logan, Ms. Kelly Barringer, John Kuhn, Katie Loper, Heidi Mehl, Paul Szpyrka, Ms. Adrienne Harris-Boggess, Professor William Comer Intermediate Russian Danon Park, Alexander Melin, Robert Blaney, Ms. Yanina Grigorchuk, Professor Comer Advanced Russian Fourth-Year Russian Terri Pohl, Nathan Mack, Ms. Irina Fedyunina-Six Connor Klamann Bekah Heacock, Professor Edith Clowes (Joy Stortvedt was absent.) DOBRO SLOVO Russian Honorary Society Kurt Harper, Bekah Heacock, Terri Pohl, Professor Clowes 5 2005 Outstanding Alumnus Kurt Harper, Professor Clowes Celebration of Joseph Conrad Collection Galina Conrad, Belinda J. Schuman, Professor Marc Greenberg, Karla Conrad New Colleague Continued from page 1 to serve God—through selfless action It may introduce you to interests you of the spiritual aspect of Christ’s teach- or quiet contemplation—and the silent never knew you had! ings).

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