Anna Oldfield

Associate Professor, English

Contact Anna Oldfield

Edwards 204

Spring 2020 Office Hours
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To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture.” – Frantz Fanon

Biography

Anna Oldfield began by studying Russian language and literature and then branched out into the Caucasus and Central Asia. She spent two years in Azerbaijan working with women bardic singers, and since then has continued to work in Central and Western Asia on epic, music, folklore, literature and film. She is also keen on Russian literature and culture and its influence in the region. Her teaching and scholarship focus on forging links of respect, understanding and empathy with cultures often seen negatively, if seen at all. Oldfield has worked on cultural exchange initiatives with the British Library, Smithsonian Folkways, the Azerbaijan National Archives, the San Francisco World Music Festival, the Freer-Sakler Gallery, and CCU’s China exchange initiative. She is currently collaborating with Uzbek scholars on a translation of Uzbek short stories.

Education

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison – Languages and Cultures of Asia
M.A. University of Arizona, Russian and Slavic Languages and Literatures
B.A. University of New Mexico, Russian Studies

Interesting Facts

Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship in Azerbaijan, 2005-6

Fulbright Scholar Fellowship in Kazakhstan, 2010-11

“Nawruz in Kazakhstan: Life on the Steppe, Past and Present.” With photographs by Said Atabekov on the website Nowruz International http://www.nowruzinternational.org/

Apprenticed herself to a woman bard in Azerbaijan, but sadly has no musical talent.

Teaching Areas

World Literature across regions and genres, including Epic Narratives, Folklore, and Magic Realism. Russian and East European Literature (19th and 20th C) and film.

Research Areas

Epic narratives, folklore, music, literature and film of Central Asia and Western Asia; borderlands areas, culture and trauma, cross-cultural reading and translation.

For more information, visit https://aoldfieldccu.wordpress.com/