One of my primary interests in Russian studies is poetry (see papers). I have translated some of the poems of Olga Sedakova, visiting her in Moscow to fine-tune my translations. My latest interest is the poet Nina Iskrenko, on whom I presented a paper at a conference. These poets show my interest in contemporary Russian poets. But I am not limited to this time frame. Russian poetry, in general, has long been a passion of mine.
My dissertation will be on the process of facing death in Russian literature of the 19th-20th centuries. I will focus on both prose and poetry of this time and include some comparative analysis to literature of the West.
My secondary field at USC is in the field of performing arts, in particular dance & theater at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. I find the changes in dance& theater at that time fascinating, especially those seen in the Ballets Russes and other artists working in Russia. These changes brought together artists of many disciplines to work united by the performance to be made. They also had a great effect on the view of women and the female body. In addition, after working in the movement art of eurythmy for some years (see teaching and present eurythmy), I am excited to explore the larger historical context within which eurythmy operated in this time period.
I am a great lover of Russian folk art, in particular, folk toys, costume design and decorative arts. I have a small collection of folk toys, as well as innumerable "prikladnye veshchi"- vases, jugs, plates, "kovshi", birch boxes and containers. I have begun research into the influence of Russian folk toys on avant-garde art, which I hope to continue at some point.
I have since undergraduate school been interested in the Russian phenomenon of the holy fool or "iurodivy". At this point I am exploring the expression of the "iurodivy" in 20th century literature, in particular the work of Andrei Platonov.
My interests are indeed eclectic, as are the things I love to do when not working in Russian studies. Usually in my spare time I work in my garden or tend the exotic finches I raise. See my website at www.finefinches.com I also greatly enjoy walks in parks or open land to observe all the many details of nature. And when I have the chance, I love to travel to unusual places. A return trip to Lake Baikal is one of my dreams, as is a trip to Antarctica and New Zealand.