Bjarne Isaksen

1.37 A Dog’s Life – Jon Fosse’s Literary Works as an Unexpected Territory in Art Education (Paper)

Bjarne Isaksen – University of South-Eastern Norway, Raveien, Norway

Fride Lindstøl – University of South-Eastern Norway, Raveien, Norway

Camilla Grieg – University of South-Eastern Norway, Raveien, Norway

Abstract:

Jon Fosse is one of Norway’s most esteemed contemporary authors. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023, which further solidified his international significance. In Norwegian schools, Fosse’s works are part of the curriculum, although many students report finding his texts difficult to understand, strange, and inaccessible. Without actively engaging with the text, relating it to their own experiences, memories, and language, students may perceive Fosse’s writing as opaque and abstract. The aim of this study is to develop, test, and identify methods that can create both connections and boundaries between students and Fosse’s texts. Studies of literature teaching in Norwegian classrooms show that reading instruction often emphasizes individual reading with a focus on cognitive understanding of the text. Teachers highlight analytical approaches, such as identifying literary devices or recreating the author’s intentions. Literature is often taught as if there is correct interpretations and fixed answers. Several studies suggest that there is little room for students to explore and experiment. Fosse’s texts, however, offer open and associative spaces, providing opportunities for students to imagine, co-create, and linger. In this intervention study, a teacher and a researcher collaborated to teach Jon Fosse’s texts. We experimented with different dramaturgical approaches to literature teaching, including the concepts of body, text, space, and time. Our focus was on identifying teaching methods that could help students experience the rhythm and sound of the text by using the language of play and fiction. The classroom served as a stage, and the desks were used as playing spaces. We based our study on the texts Hundemanuskripta (1997) and Andvake (2007). The data consists of photographs, film, texts, and interviews from two four-hours teaching sessions (grades 2 and 8).

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