Elliott J. Brandsma

Area(s) of Study: 20^th Century Icelandic and Swedish Literature, Nordic Literature of Decadence, the Baroque

Pronouns: he/him/his

About Me: I am a Ph.D. student in the Nordic section, specializing in modernism’s relationship to Swedish and Icelandic literature. Writers of interest to my research include Halldór Laxness, Gunnar Gunnarsson, Harry Martinson, Eyvind Johnson, Verner Von Heidenstam, Selma Lagerlöf, Erik Axel Karlfeldt, August Strindberg, and Pär Lagerkvist. I attended the University of Iceland from 2013-2016, where I completed an M.A. and spent a year studying in the Icelandic as a Second Language B.A. program. I am a former public school teacher, journalist, Fulbright scholar, and AmeriCorps National Service Program volunteer, and I aspire to a career in academia or the Foreign Service.

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-brandsma-511676119/

Education:

– B.A., English and Art, Texas State University (Summa cum laude)
– M.A., English, University of Iceland, (First-Class)

Courses Taught:

– Miami Dade College: Freshman Composition I and II
– University of Wisconsin—Madison: First-year Swedish

Awards:

• Dr. Herbert E. Harper, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, San Antonio Area Foundation, 2020
• Näbbeboda Fellowship, Olofström, Sweden, Harry Martinson Society, 2019
• University of Wisconsin Graduate School Fellowship, 2019-2020
• University of Wisconsin Graduate School Welcome Scholarship, 2019-2020
• Institute for Regional and International Studies Training Fellowship, 2019-2020
• Teach for America/Americorps Fellowship, Miami-Dade, 2016-2018
• Research Fellow, Skriðuklaustur Cultural Center in Egilsstaðir, Iceland, 2013
• Fulbright Research Grant, Iceland, 2013-2014
• Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture Fellowship, 2013-2014
• Finalist, Lyndon Baines Johnson Outstanding Senior Award, Texas State University, 2013

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

• “Recovering a ‘Lost Europe:’ The Decentering of Master Narratives in Eyvind Johnson’s Natten är här.”
• “Seeing the Unseen: A Reflection on Harry Martinson’s ‘The Inner Light.’” http://harrymartinson.se/manadens-martinson/manadens-martinson-juli-2020-3-av-elliott-brandsma/
• “Turning Wonder into Compassion: A Meditation on Harry Martinson’s ‘Visit to an Observatory.’” http://harrymartinson.se/manadens-martinson/manadens-martinson-juli-2019-av-elliott-brandsma/
• “Exploring the Legacy of Halldór Laxness: Contemporary English-language Perspectives on Iceland’s Greatest Twentieth-Century Writer.” https://skemman.is/handle/1946/24808