#Belarus

#Belarus

Open Lectures & Teaching in Minsk

#AmericanLiterature, #Belarus, #Fulbright November 26, 2017 English Department spetersh 0 Comments

NOTE: Unfortunately, I just realized that I never published this page. So I am updating it a bit before publishing it… I had the privilege of giving an open lecture series on the Renaissances of American Literature at Belarusian State University during the last of October and part of November. Some people here in Belarus know little about American culture, and others surprise me with how much they know. Included in this series are the following topics and Belarusian responses. (All dates are approximate, of course, and many of these movements had “second waves.” I invite any reader to fight with me about this!) AMERICAN RENAISSANCE (IN LITERATURE), 1830-1860 Of the “Big Five,” (the dead white men F.O. Mattheissen enshrined … Continued

Tidbits of Belarusian Language and Literature

#Belarus, #Fulbright, #Literature September 15, 2017 English Department spetersh 0 Comments

I walk down to the metro but not to board a train. I’m going down to the cafe where I know they have great pastries. My wife and all four children are with me, and my wife has already figured out who speaks some English at this place. She knows how to order what we want, and I am happy to let her do it. After pointing and talking mostly in English with the kids and the woman behind the counter who knows some English, Beth prepares to pay and wait for the food. I’m carrying our youngest, little Jo, strapped onto me, and I move to the edge of the shop to keep from crowding the counter area. “Kids, … Continued

Ilya of Murom: A Legend of the Kievan Rus (draft!)

#Belarus, #Creative Writing, #Fulbright September 7, 2017 English Department, Uncategorized spetersh 0 Comments

The Three Brogatyrs (Warrior-Knights) by Vikotr Vasnetsov, 1898 [In order: Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muramets, Alyosha Popovich] This week I bring you the rough draft of a narrative poem I wrote upon discovering a children’s illustrated version (in English) of a folk tale/legend of the Eastern Slavs and Russians. I picked up this book at the Pushkin Library here in Minsk — a place we will visit frequently in days to come! I compared the children’s story with some older versions of this folk tale/legend that I could find online and cobbled together my own version. For any of my Belarusian friends and colleagues, feel free to message me with suggestions for revision, particularly if there are important cultural elements … Continued

A Minsk Miscellany

#Belarus, #Fulbright September 1, 2017 English Department spetersh 0 Comments

I have learned much during our life in Minsk during the past week. Here’s a partial list, in no particular order. 1. Riding the metro is easy and cheap. Doors open on one side in one direction and the other side in the other direction. Kids ride free, and a ride is the equivalent of 30 cents or so. Announcements are in Russian/Belorussian with a few lines of English thrown in for good measure. “Please mind the closing doors.” “Next stop is ___ station.” 2. Nice city parks are all around the city, especially along the Svislach River. If we cross the street at our apartments, pass under the bridge and cross the street again, we enter a park with … Continued

School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Open Lectures & Teaching in Minsk

Tidbits of Belarusian Language and Literature

Ilya of Murom: A Legend of the Kievan Rus (draft!)

A Minsk Miscellany

Indiana University East