as a folklorist, i am interested in all aspects of traditional life, including narrative, belief, customs, music, and material culture. my research has focused primarily on nordic materials, particularly the expressive culture of finns and sami, as well as medieval scandinavians. in my book lyric, meaning and audience, i examine folklore in a regional sense, going beyond regional and temporal boundaries. i am completing a study of religious wood carving traditions that takes a similar approach, looking at devotional carving from the medieval period to the present throughout the nordic-baltic region and including nordic americans.
together with jim leary and other colleagues at the university of wisconsin-madison, i co-edited the journal of american folklore for five years, from 2010-14.
