Caitlin Giustiniano

Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

• Teaching Fellow, Ferrum College ,

Summary Statement of Research Interests

My research focus is mainly on 20th century nonsense prose or “bessmyslitsa” and its connections with children’s literature. In the Russian/ Soviet context, my interests primarily revolve around the OBERIU poets, specifically Daniil Kharms: both his prose works for adults and his children’s literature. In my research, I distinguish nonsense literature from other types of literature, such as the absurd, for which it is often mistaken. I consider earlier examples of nonsense in children’s literature in England and trace how they entered into Russia, as well as their influence on the Russian literary tradition. I want to understand the particular ways that nonsense writers undermine logical and hierarchical systems, to what end, and if this goal changes depending on whether the intended reader is an adult or a child. Additional research interests include the development of Russian and Soviet Children’s Literature and journals, the Soviet avant-garde, Stalinist carnival, and the Russian and English works of Vladimir Nabokov.