American Literature Workshop
Participant Biographies

	Laura Alonso-Gallo, Spain Associate professor at the Department of English Studies, Universidad de Huelva. Her American literature courses have included African-American as well as Jewish literature, while her current research has concentrated on Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian-Americans. Has recently designed Ph.D. courses focusing on Hispanic women writers and American ethnic literature. Earned a B.A. and M.A. in English studies, Universidad Complutense of Madrid.
	Oleg Alyakrinsky, Russia Literary editor and translator/interpreter, AST Press Publishing House, Moscow; also free-lance literary critic, literary editor and translator at major Russian publishing houses. Area of specialization is American literary history and popular culture. Author of book reviews on contemporary American authors, and of essays on popular characters in American literature, he is currently working on a series of essays on contemporary American literature. His Ph.D. from Lomonosov State University is in contemporary American literature.
	Vladislav Bajac, Yugoslavia Director, Geopoetics Publishing in Belgrade, a member of the International Institute for Geopoetics in Paris; author of six books including novels, short stories and poetry, as well as of numerous TV documentaries and news articles on American culture; editor in chief of several magazines in the Politika News Company, and of Studio B Broadcasting in Belgrade. Has edited and translated two anthologies of American poetry, and translated books of several contemporary American writers. Graduate in Yugoslav and world literature, Belgrade University.
	Raja Boussedra, Tunisia Professor of English, University of Tunis I where she is also a Ph.D. candidate writing her dissertation on African-American women‘s literature . Her research concentrates on Zora Neale Huston, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison from 1995 to the present. Interested in the articulation of identity in terms of race, gender, class and sexuality. Member of the Women´s Studies Research Center in Tunis. Earned M.A. degree from the University of Tunis.
	Linda Clark, USA Instructor in the Faculty of English at Maryville College in Tennessee. In addition to teaching traditional courses on writing and American literature, teaches interdisciplinary seminars focusing on real-world politics arising from American cultural diversity. Special interest in centennial American studies, including topics of ethnicity and environment as part of a series of courses to mark the approaching millennial change. Received B.A. in psychology from Emory & Henry College, an M.S. in counseling from the University of Central Arkansas, and an M.A. in English from East Tennessee State University.
	Andrea Dlaska, Austria Lecturer in German, Language Center of the University of Warwick, Great Britain, where she is head of the German section in the department. Research interests include Asian American literature, literature of migration, and languages for special purposes. Received M.A. in English and American literature and linguistics, and German literature and linguistics, and Ph.D. in American Studies, both from the University of Innsbruck . Her doctoral thesis was on Asian American writer Bharati Mukherjee.
	Ana Fraile-Marcos, Spain Assistant professor, Department of English Philology, University of Salamanca. Teaching and research concentrate on African American literature and its link to social and political issues. Has taught a post graduate course on the literature of African American women. Earned M.A. in English philology and Ph.D. from the University of Salamanca, with a dissertation on Zora Neale Hurston.
	Andreea Hodivoianu, Romania Teaches English at Mihai Viteazul National College in Bucharest, specializing in American literature and pedagogy. Currently conducting research for a Ph.D. focusing on post-modernism and the twentieth century American novel. Graduate in American literature from the University of Bucharest where she wrote her thesis on post modernist techniques in the American twentieth century novel.
	Grzegorz Kosz, Poland Doctoral student at the Department of American Literature and Culture, University of Lódz, in addition to teaching courses on American culture to beginning students. Particularly interested in the socio-political dimension of American literature and the impact that the promotion of a more egalitarian society in America has had on literature, literary criticism and the scholarly community. Received M.A. from the Department of American Literature and Culture, University of Lódz.
	Attila Kószeghy, Hungary Lecturer of American literature at Kölcsey Ferenc Teacher Training College in Debrecen, including a course on 20th century American literature and civilization. Special area of interest is the nature of the short story and American minimalist fiction. Currently writing Ph.D. dissertation on Raymond Carver´s short fiction, particularly its sociological aspects. M.A. degrees in English and history, and in philosophy, Kossuth Lajos University in Debrecen.
	Yu-cheng Lee, Taiwan Research Fellow, Institute of European and American Studies, Taipei. Most recent research and teaching has attempted to map the politics of African American and Chinese American literatures in terms of race, class, gender and ethnicity. Winner of the National Science Council Award for outstanding research (1996-1998). Author of numerous books, book reviews and papers on African American and Chinese American literature. M.A. in English, and Ph.D. in comparative literature, both from National Taiwan University.
	Diana Miteva, Bulgaria Senior Lecturer in English, American Studies and British Studies, Varna University of Economics in Varna. Teaches American Studies course targeted at advanced students of international business and foreign languages. Main field of interest is intercultural competence development of adult learners of English and business English. M.A. in English language and literature and TEFL, Sofia University; diploma in cultural studies with thesis entitled The American Dream and Modern Cultural Mythmaking.
	Katja Polanski, Germany Assistant professor of American literature, University of Potsdam. Currently teaching courses on American literature and contemporary American drama. Has conducted research on issues of ethnicity and gender. Plans to develop new course on multiculturalism and ethnicity in North American literature. Doctoral candidate with thesis focusing on aspects of national and gender identity in contemporary Anglo and Franco-Canadian literature. M.A. from University of Potsdam.
	Derek Rubin, Netherlands Lecturer in British and American literature, Free University of Amsterdam and three other Dutch universities. Teaching and research are focused on contemporary American literature and the ways in which societal and cultural changes are reflected in the work of Jewish-American writers today. Author of numerous publications on Saul Bellow, Philip Roth and others. Received his Ph.D. from the Free University of Amsterdam with a dissertation on Marginality in Saul Bellow‘s Early Novels: From Dangling Man to Herzog.
	Ahmed Saber, Morocco Professor of comparative literature, African, and African-American literature, Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Fes. Has written numerous articles in scholarly journals and presented papers on African-American literature, in addition to authoring a collection of poems planned for publication entitled Perceptions. Received M.A. in African and Afro-American Studies, Atlanta University, and Ph.D. in comparative literature, University of Georgia.
	Colleen Smith, U.S.A. Self-employed writer, recently completed first novel and a collection of short stories. Contributes to a number of magazines and newspapers on a regular basis, including a newspaper column for the Denver Post entitled Everyday Epiphanies and book reviews for local, regional and national publications. Previous employment includes teaching creative writing and six years as Associate Director of Communications at the Archdiocese of Denver. B.A. in English, University of Iowa.
	Vanja Smoje, Yugoslavia Lector in English, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Belgrade. Special area of interest is contemporary American literature, specifically gender studies, and modern American drama. Has translated texts for literary maagazines, including short stories by modern American authors such as Donald Barthelme. M.A. thesis concerned with narrative techniques in Stephen Crane‘s short stories. Graduate in English language and literature, University of Belgrade.
	Gertrud Szamosi, Hungary Lecturer in American and British Cultural Studies and Contemporary Literature, Janus Pannonius University in Pécs. Teaching and research area is in the field of cultural studies and American literature. Special interest in postmodern literature, both its universal characteristics and the diversity on the level of national and personal identity. M.A. in English language and literature, Janus Pannonius University; currently writing thesis for Ph.D. in modern literature, Eötvös Lorand University, Budapest.
	Igina Tattoni, Italy Teacher, student advisor and researcher, Department of English, University of Rome La Sapienza. Research interests include the 20th century novel and short story, post-modern fiction and literary autobiography. Has authored numerous publications on American literary themes as well as translated a number of works into Italian. Alumna of Salzburg Seminar Session 176 on Contemporary American Literature. Graduate in foreign modern literature and languages from the University of Rome, and Ph.D. in American literature, Kent State University.
	Asli Tekinay, Turkey Associate Professor of English, Bogazici University, Istanbul. Coordinator of American Studies Program, which emphasizes multidisciplinary studies, a new concept in Turkish universities. Teaches courses on Twentieth Century African-American literature and ethnic American drama, among others. Most recent areas of interest include multiculturalism and African-American literature. Has published extensively on contemporary American authors. B.A. and Ph.D both from the Department of English Language and Literature, Bogazici University; M.A. from the Department of English, Southern Illinois University.
	Audrone Uzieliene, Lithuania Preparing doctoral dissertation in the World Literature Department at Vilnius University, conducting research on American women´s writing on multiculturalism. Thesis will focus on the literary tradition of the twentieth century Afro-American women prose. Interested in feminist literary theory and the black narrative tradition of women writers. Author of literary translations of American short stories. Received diploma in philology, Vilnius University.
	Semiramis Yagcioglu, Turkey Associate Professor and Vice Dean of the newly founded Department of American Studies, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir. Special areas of interest in addition to American literature are interdisciplinary studies on literary communications and critical discourse analysis. Currently teaching a course on American themes and issues, and one on politics and the novel. Received a B.A. in English language and literature from Istanbul University, and an M.A. in linguistics, and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from Ege University.
	Magdalena Zaborowska, Poland Associate professor of American Studies, Aarhus University in Denmark. Focus of research and writing is the rhetoric of American identity, and ethnic and migratory narratives. Recently published a book entitled How We Found America: Reading Gender through East European Immigrant Narratives. Currently working on a book focusing on male ethnicity in twentieth century American literature and culture. Earned M.A. from the Institute of English Studies, University of Warsaw, and Ph.D. in English from The University of Oregon.
	Andrew Zawacki, USA Poet, literary critic, and European Editor of Verse, an international journal of poetry; author of numerous poems published in a wide variety of literary publications. Interested in the intersection of American literature and American history, especially recent African-American history, and in the political relevance of American literary texts. Recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship. B.A., College of William and Mary; M.Phil in modern English studies from University College, Oxford, and M.Litt. in creative writing, University of Saint Andrews.

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