Rasmussen, Ann Marie 1954(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1954. Education: University of Oregon, B.A., 1976; Yale University, Ph.D., 1985.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Durham, NC. Office—Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, Duke University, 116C Old Chem Bldg., Box 90256, Durham, NC 27708. E-mail—annmarie.rasmussen@duke.edu; amras@acpub.duke.edu.

CAREER:

University of Berne, Switzerland, German seminars, lecturer, 1985-88; Duke University, Durham, NC, department of Germanic languages and literature, 1988—, department chair, 2006—.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Presented with a TransCoop Award, from the Humboldt Foundation, to support research on the representations of emotion in medieval German culture and literature.

WRITINGS:

Mothers and Daughters in Medieval German Literature, Syracuse University Press (Syracuse, NY), 1997.

(With Anne L. Klinck) Medieval Woman's Song: Cross-Cultural Approaches, University of Pennsylvania Press (Philadelphia, PA), 2002.

Contributor of scholarly articles to various journals, including Spectrum.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ann Marie Rasmussen is a writer and educator, whose research interests includes medieval and early modern studies, gender studies, literary history, and criticism. She joined the faculty at Duke University in 1988 and serves as an associate professor in Germanic languages. Her first book, Mothers and Daughters in Medieval German Literature, addresses the issues inherent in reading medieval works with a feminist slant. Using her strong foundation in feminist theory as a guide, Rasmussen attempts to correct this issue, examining socially prescribed roles of mother and daughter in medieval German society as a framework. She examines the patriarchy, the role of the daughter, and attitudes toward motherhood. Maria Dobozy, in a review for Monatshefte, found the book to be a "well thought out, clearly written volume," and concluded: "Rasmussen's contribution to medieval German literature is solid and points the way toward future, serious work in feminist research."

Medieval Woman's Song: Cross-Cultural Approaches, which Rasmussen edited with Anne L. Klinck, gathers songs and lyrics from both ancient times and the medieval period. The work breaks new ground in considering texts written by both men and women, though traditionally sung by women, and addressing their relation to gender. Linda E. Mitchell, in a review for the Journal of Women's History, found the book "struggles with the weight of traditional interpretation and analysis and the thorny problem of making medieval lyric new through revised interpretations."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Journal of Women's History, spring, 2004, Linda E. Mitchell, review of Medieval Woman's Song: Cross-Cultural Approaches, p. 183.

Monatshefte, spring, 2001, Maria Dobozy, review of Mothers and Daughters in Medieval German Literature, pp. 115-17.

ONLINE

Duke University Web site,http://fds.duke.edu/ (April 7, 2007), faculty biography.

University of Pennsylvania Press Web site,http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/ (April 7, 2007), author biography.