!!!Bienvenue a la Page Principale de Les Caltvedt!!!

I grew up in Iowa, received my B.A. at Luther College, taught languages at a high school, then went to Northwestern, where I received my M.A. and Ph.D. I studied in Germany (Göttingen), France (Montpellier, Dijon) and in Québec (Chicoutimi, Laval, Trois-Rivières, Montréal).

Teaching Interests
Before coming to Elmhurst, I taught part-time at Northwestern and full-time at a Gymnasium in Hattingen, Germany. At Elmhurst, I've taught all the German courses, and most French courses, except the literature sequence. In addition, I've offered several January term courses in European and world film, and have co-taught a course on African literature, film, and culture with Evans Afenya (an associate professor of mathematics at Elmhurst College).

In recent years, I have frequently taught world literature in the evening session. Works are drawn most heavily from France and Germany, but include, for example, Italian, African, and Asian authors. I choose prose from 1800 to today, and take an interdisciplinary approach, including stories about accounting and science.

Scholarly Interests
My dissertation was on Guenter Grass, the 1999 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. My scholarship focus has evolved from post World War II literature to include the film-literature connection (authors Rilke, Handke; filmmakers Herzog and Wenders), the literature-art-music connection (synaesthesia), and my current project, the image of technology and media, especially the phonograph, in European literature. During my upcoming sabbatical (Term II, 2000) I plan to work on that project and to develop a course in Asian literature. I often present at the Literature/Film conference at Florida State.

Professional Activities
Professionally, I've been involved in AATF, AATG, and Alpha Mu Gamma. In AATG, the German teachers organization, I'm currently the Testing and Awards chairperson. I served as National President of Alpha Mu Gamma, the foreign language honor society, for 3 years, and am currently the regional VP. I often give papers at teachers' conferences and meetings, such as ICTFL, the Illinois foreign language teachers organization.

Hobbies
I enjoy watching foreign films not only for enjoyment, but also as a means of gathering cultural information, and scouting of new material for a literature or film course. Travel in our family usually means a refresher course in Western culture and colloquial language while exploring a new corner of France or Germany (or even Switzerland). Music--classical, jazz, cajun, folk--is a pastime, but it is the ultimate origin of literature, and I listen for the "melody" of every work I read.

Sports Interests
My sports--racquetball, biking, cross-country skiing--are both aerobic and dependent on rhythm. ...and someday maybe le Tour de France. I sometimes ride tandem with my wife Sarah, a librarian, or with my daughters, Sonia, now in California, and Emily, a music student.