The Arctic is a region that challenges definitions. Despite the picture of a harsh wasteland of ice and snow imagined by many temperate outsiders, it is home to a diverse group of peoples, both Indigenous and settler-colonialist. All of these people—and, it turns out, plenty of outsiders—tell stories, write poems, sing songs, and create images of the Arctic. But what can these stories really tell us about it? In this talk, we will discuss some of those stories, looking for what they might have in common and how they differ, in order to address the question of what literature can tell us about what the Arctic is, and, perhaps, what it isn't.

*Note: this is a virtual program. Please register by 9:00am on October 24 in order to receive the Zoom link. If you have not received a link by October 24, please check your spam email, or contact us at programs@nordicmuseum.org.