IronwoodInfo News Magazine

A Study in North American Finnish Literature

Hancock - November 21, 2008

Last evening Dr. Beth Virtanen, Ph.D. (pictured above) delivered a lecture pertaining to generational attitudes expressed in Finnish North American Literature. Dr.Virtanen's lecture included a look into the generational differences in North American Finlanders and the continuance of those differences into the literature of those generational authors. Dr. Virtanen is currently writing an anthology on North American Finnish Literature and last night's lecture was a preview of that anthology. This was an exceptional lecture in that someone such as my self, an Italian-American, could enjoy and learn from. I found it very interesting in that what Dr. Virtanen describes as social changes in first second and third generation Finns also applied to immigrant Italians and their offspring. I am sure it would also hold true for other nationalities as well. We have reproduced the entire power point presentation along with an audio of the entire 1 hour lecture. The file is quite large and may take some time to download however, it will be well worthwhile to listen to the lecture.

Dr. Virtanen, began by describing the generational differences of North American writers. Their social standings, economics and values of their time. Later Virtanen, reviews exerpts of various writers and points out how those generational differences find their way into the writer's works.

Dr. Virtenan summarizes the evenings lecture by stating the following:
First Generation, comparisons of Finnish and North American culture take prominent positions with things Finnish favored.
Second Generation, writers seek to explain their Finnishness in North American continent.
Third Generation, writers use Finnishisms as ethnic decoration on mainstream N-A texts; Finnishness is venerated but not specific
Transnationals, Finland is not perfect, but it reaquires actual details and specificity.

Dr. Virtanen categorizes generations differently than the way I am accustomed. So, for those of our readers who are used to thinking as I do let me describe Dr. Virtanen's definitions.

First Generation those who migrated to North American. The first to be born in North American of immigrants parents are considered second generation, and so on.

The lecture was very enlightening and provided information that will benefit all of us who enjoy reading works by North American Finnish authors.

“Finnish immigrants to North America have developed various means of expressing their ethnic identities through creative writing,” Virtanen says. “In my lecture I will explore these expressions of ‘Finnishness’ in works by first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation authors.”

Virtanen is the 2008-2010 Paloheimo Scholar at Finlandia University. She holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric and technical communication from Michigan Technological University, and is the founding president of the Finnish North American Literature Association (FinNALA).

Virtanen has held professorships at universities in Alaska, Minnesota, and Puerto Rico, and spent a year at the University of Alberta creating a plan for a campus-wide center for writers. From 1996 through 1999, Virtanen was an instructor at Suomi College.

She has presented and published widely, including an Aspasia Monograph titled Landscapes and Soulscapes: On the Literature of Finnish North America, and a book of poems titled Guarding Passage.

above Journal of Finnish Studies which contain Virtanen writings

above - local author Lauri Anderson whose book "Hunting Hemingway's Trout" was discussed and reviewed as an example of "Third Generation" writing along with the writings of Shirley Schoonover, author of "Winter Dream".

Author Aili Gronlund Schneider' book "Finnish Baker's Daughters, served as the example of First Generation writings. Paula Ivaska Robbins' fictionalized history "Below Rollstone Hill and Aili Jarvenpa's "In Two Cultures" were examined as examples of Second Generation writings.

Stephan Kuusisto who wrote "Planet of the Blind: A Memoir" and "Eavesdropping". His writings served as examples of a Transnational Generation writer. Kuusisto is legally blind and who can read only one letter at a time.

The Lecture Slides begin Here:

Click to Play Audio Presentation to accompany the slides