Coordinator, Humanities Program, Associate Professor of English
Office: Hartnett 306
Email: eric.furuseth@minotstateu.edu
Phone Number: 701-858-3369
Credentials:
BS, BA, MA: University of North Dakota
PhD: Washington State University
Courses Taught:
Humanities 251, 252, and 253
English Composition 110, 111, 120, and 121
Age of Shakespeare
British Literature 252
British Poetry
British Novels
World Drama
World Literature
Introduction to Literature
Introduction to Film
More about Dr. Furuseth:
Dr. Furuseth is active as a literary critic and as a creative writer and performer, presenting often at local and regional conferences and presentations. He has written mainly about Shakespeare, 18th and 19th century British literature, American film, and North Dakota playwright Maxwell Anderson. Recently, he delivered a paper called “‘I'll Drown My Book’: Does Prospero Abandon Utopia in The Tempest?" at the Northern Plains Conference on Early British Literature, Vermillion South Dakota, Spring 2022. In October of 2021, he presented "Byron's Dialogic Closet Dramas: Exploring the Power of Tragedy in His World" at the Canadian/Midwestern Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies in Winnipeg.
Also, Dr. Furuseth has performed regularly with Western Plains Opera, Mouse River Players, MSU Summer Theater productions, and with the Minot Chamber Chorale. In 2022, he sang in the chorus of Western Plains Opera's "Die Fledermaus." He will perform once again as "Lord of the Manor" for the 2022 "Renaissance Feast" of the Chamber Chorale. For the last nine years he has also written the script for the Renaissance Feast. He is also working on several short stories, several of which he has presented publicly in the past.
Dr. Furuseth believes that the better the students understand the arts, the more they will enjoy them. He believes in the value of experiencing great performances "first hand" as often as possible, saying "Minot is a relatively small city but is a vibrant cultural center for a large geographic area. With Minot State as its center, the community of Minot offers opportunities for seeing and hearing art, music, and literature of high quality all year round. Furthermore, Minot is small enough so that students who wish to participate in arts activities will find good opportunities to do so."
Dr. Furuseth is currently a member of the Western Plains Opera Company board and served as President of the group for many years. He was a member of the North Dakota Humanities Council for six years as well as other local arts boards such as those of The Taube Museum and the Minot Council of the Arts.
Gladiator doing battle with the hot Roman sun in the Colosseum, summer 2008
