Hi! Here I am again, but in another language. My name is still Roland, although it is now slightly dipthongated. At Gustavus, where I have been teaching since " de stora upprorens tid," my title is Professor of Scandinavian Studies and Swedish. Most semesters I teach two Swedish language courses--on different levels--and one Scandinavian Studies course. The latter course, taught in English, is often a Scandinavian literature course, but the approach I take to teaching literature is eclectic; I prefer to help my students explore literary works--and films--in search of clues to a broad understanding of culture, in our case the culture or cultures of the Nordic area.
This academic year - 2003-2004 - I will teach the following courses:
A interdisciplinary course, Political Issues in Contemporary Scandinavia, will be offered. Teacher: Lennart Sacrédeus, Visiting professor from Mora, Sweden, and member of the European Parliament (199-2004).
I am married to Edi who is also a Scandinavianist. We have two children, Martin and Liv. All of us have experienced the great value of living in foreign countries and knowing foreign languages. I have one grandchild, Danil, who is American-Russian-Swedish Norwegian-German-Irish. Other-than-academically speaking: In the winter I often escape the crowded academic world by putting skis under my feet and heading for the snowy hills and fields; during the rest of the year I cover a miles on foot, into the woods and out, and along the roads. Away, away...but home again.