If you've read any of Steve's work you may recall he spent time in Finland, both as a young child and again as a Fulbright Scholar studying and translating Finnish poetry. I had the great fortune to travel to Helsinki with him in 1998. Planet of the Blind had been translated into Finnish and Steve was invited to visit to promote the book.
We were recently surprised and delighted to be contacted by Beth L. Virtanen of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. She introduced herself as the founder of the Finnish North American Literature Association and expressed her interest in linking to Steve's web site.
We are pleased to return the favor. The following is borrowed from the home page at FinNala:
FinNALA's Mission
"The mission of FinNALA is to promote the dissemination and study of Finnish North American Literature, including the creative, historic and documentary genres, and to firmly establish Finnish North American Literature as an area of scholarship.
FinNALA works to define the depth, breadth, and contours of this important area of ethnic North American Literature from its inception in the late nineteenth century to the present.
FinNALA's focus includes the study and preservation of the literature in Finnish and English and in the mixed language that sprang from the intermingling of both.
The focus also includes the examination of the influence of the Finnish language and the Finnish experience on the literature throughout the history of Finnish North American Literature.
It also examines the influence on the Finnish American experience of interactions with other cultures in the North American context, for these interactions profoundly influence the literature of Finnish North America."
I know Steve feels honored to be recognized and included in this body of work. You can find FinNALA's links to Steve's work here under both the Poetry and Nonfiction links.
Thank you Beth Virtanen!
~ Connie
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