Velkommen til oss!
Welcome to Mindekirken's Norwegian Language and Culture Program. We are happy to offer you the ability to register for classes and events online with our new website. We hope this will be a valuable resource to you as we move forward.
Spring classes started March 26th and are now well under way.
Celebrate Syttende mai with us at Mindekirken on Sunday, May 20th. There will be a festival service at 11:00 a.m. with guest musicians from the Twin Cities and Norway. Afterwards, join in the parade around the neighborhood and stay for hot dogs and other treats. This holiday is particularly focused on children and there will be many fun games to participate in. For more information on when events are scheduled, please see Mindekirken's website: www.mindekirken.net
Spotlight: Krim
Anyone who has celebrated Easter in Norway knows that reading or watching påskekrim is an essential påsketradisjon (Easter tradition).
In recent years, authors like Anne Holt, Stieg Larrson, Camilla LäScandinavian, Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø and Stieg Larsson have caught the attention of many, bringing Scandinavian crime fiction into the hands of readers across the globe. To read more about Scandinavian Crime Fiction click here: http://www.scandinaviancrimefiction.com/.
Stein Riverton's Jernvognen
We first introduced norsk krim to our program in 2007 with Jernvognen (The Iron Chariot). Set on an island in Southern Norway, what was supposed to be a peaceful vacation at a resort turns into something much darker and more twisted. This thriller engages readers using literary techniques that would later be used by writers like Agatha Christie.
Originally released in 1909, Jernvognen has since been translated into more than seventeen languages. It is one of many crime fiction novels that have put Norway on the map of Crime Fiction readers across the world. Jernvognen was written by a Norwegian journalist and author who used the pseudonym Stein Riverton. Each year, the Rivertonpris (Riverton Prize), named after Stein Riverton, is awarded to the best Norwegian crime story.
In our classes we use a version of Jernvognen that was edited and translated by the late James P. Jensen of Nelsbok Publishing: http://nelsbok.com/publications/jernvognen/.
Vidar Sundstøl’s Minnesota-trilogy
In 2010, we added Drømmenes land, the first book in Vidar Sundstøl’s Minnesota-trilogy and winner of the 2008 Riverton Prize, to our course offerings. In 2011, De Døde, the second book in the trilogy, made its way to our syllabus. While it builds on the storyline of Drømmenes land, this novel guides readers on a journey through time and space, bringing to life the rich and contentious cultural history of the region. De Døde, which is written in dialect, challenges second language readers to use background knowledge and apply strategies as they read.
Sundstøl completed the trilogy with the release of Ravnene in May, 2011, which we hope to add to our repertoire of Norwegian Crime classes in the futre. All three books are set in Cook County, Minnesota along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Read more about Vidar Sundstøl here: http://www.sundstol.com.
Jo Nesbø’s Rødstrupe
Jo Nesbø’s Rødstrupe (The Redbreast) is the latest addition in our series of norsk krim. With work translated in over 70 languages, Nesbø’s work is appreciated by readers internationally. In addition to putting norsk krim on the map of crime fiction enthusiasts, Nesbø also caught the attention of many with his editorial in The New York Times following the tragic events of July 22, 2011. To learn more about Jo Nesbø click here: http://jonesbo.com/; or to read his article in The New York Times click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/opinion/27nesbo.html.
