Pacific Lutheran University

Welcome to my homepage!

Here you will find information on my background, teaching and research.  Please visit the  Scandinavian Area Studies Program website for information on this interdisciplinary program and current course offerings. 

This is my sixth year of teaching in Norwegian and Scandinavian Area Studies at Pacific Lutheran University.  My research in Norway was done at the University of Bergen and the University of Oslo.  My main area of research and publication deals with the interpretation of Sigrid Undset's medieval novels as dialogic texts.  The relationship between narrative and national identity, and the use of gossip as a narrative strategy in women's literature are central to this research.   My research also includes film and literature as expressions of cultural identity, migrant literature and peacebuilding as national image and cultural practice.
     I teach courses in Norwegian language and Scandinavian literature.  Regardless of the specific topic, the cultures of the Nordic region are an integral part of discussion in the classroom.  Goals for my teaching in Norwegian and Scandinavian Studies are to support students in their exploration of Scandinavian cultures, to challenge students to learn beyond the familiar and the known, to engage students in critical inquiry into the dynamic Scandinavian societies of today, and to prepare students with specific and applicable knowledge, skills and perspectives with which to contribute to a more peaceful global community.

Courses taught 2003-2008:
Norwegian Language (Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced)
Scandinavian Folklore (Literature GUR)
Scandinavian Women Writers (Literature GUR)
Introduction to Scandinavia
Conflict and Peace in Scandinavian Literature (Literature GUR)
The Outsider in Scandinavian Narrative and Film (Literature GUR)
Scandinavian Immigrant Literature Past and Present (Lit. GUR)
Courses for 2008-2009:
Norwegian Language (Elementary and Advanced)
Culture, Language and Identity (J-Term in Iceland and Norway)
Conflict and Peace in Scandinavian Literature (Lit. GUR)