Matthews, Sarah | Department of Russian and Slavic Studies

samatthews@arizona.edu

Matthews, Sarah

Visiting Lecturer

Sarah Matthews is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Southern California. Her dissertation compares the poetry of Vladislav Khodasevich and T.S. Eliot in the context of European Modernism. She argues that their poetry is a unique lens to reexamine and redefine the relation of the material and the metaphysical. At the University of Southern California, she was awarded the Teresa Wilson Endowed Fellowship for her dissertation and the Teaching Excellence Award for Assistant Lecturers from the Center of Languages and Cultures for her work as an instructor of the Russian language. She is passionate about teaching Slavic language and cultural courses. Sarah earned her master’s degree in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of Southern California in 2021 and two bachelor’s degrees in Russian and English from Brigham Young University in 2019. Her current research interests include Russian poetry, Polish poetry, English poetry, Modernism, ecopoetry, environmental humanities, comparative literature, formalism, structuralism, and religion.

Currently Teaching

RSSS 101 – Elementary Russian I

For the student with no previous experience in Russian.

View Section Details

RSSS 150B1 – East European Cinema in Social Context

East European Cinema in a Social Context (RSSS150) introduces students to a variety of excellent films that have come out of Eastern Europe in the last 100 years or so. Students will learn about the socio-political and cultural contexts of these films, the societies in which they were produced, and the events and situations that they depict. The goal of the course is to increase students' understanding and knowledge of Eastern European societies, cultures, and history while at the same time enhancing their appreciation and understanding of particular film masterpieces and cinema in general. By engaging them in the close study of these films, the course should help students develop analytical and viewing skills. Students should emerge from this course with a strong understanding of cinematic terms, an enriched understanding of diverse cultures of the region, and the tools for further exploration in a variety of academic disciplines (language, film, history, etc.). For purposes of this course, Eastern Europe includes the geographical area bounded by the Czech Republic in the west, Russia in the east; Poland in the north, and the former Yugoslavia & Greece in the south. We will watch a selection of movies from different areas.

View Section Details

RSSS 160C2 – Contemporary Russia in a Historical and Global Context

This course examines contemporary Russian culture and politics in a historical context, determining how the country's past influences present day culture and politics. We will learn of Russia's recent cultural and artistic triumphs within the context of Russia's rich history. In discussing Russian literary and cinematic works of the early 21st century, we will assess the impact of history on Russian consciousness and identity, noting how Russia presents itself around the world, and how it is perceived by other nations.

View Section Details