About the Site
I love the mountains. I love the clarity that comes with elevation; I love the way they inspire and challenge even as they soothe, renew, and serve as refuge. But it’s impossible to stay there. At some point, one must return to the trenches—the place where life is negotiated on a daily basis; the trenches are where life happens. The trenches are the places where we put feet to our ideas. They are where concept can be made concrete in all its messy and unpredictable fashion, and where experimentation can produce new insights; the trenches are where we learn.
This site is a compilation of what’s happening in those trenches. It’s a mix of the personal, creative, and academic. It is here to reassure friends and family that I’m still among the living, to provide materials, resources, and a “living” essence for my own students, and to share information, insight, and events with colleagues.
If you’re looking for something in particular, feel free to search the site.
About the Author
I loathe writing my own biography. The reality is that you’ll learn more about who I am by reading the blog and associated pages. However, if I must . . .
With a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in American Literature, I teach both writing and literature to Norwegian and American students at the university level, both online and face-to-face. Until time became a factor, I served as a member of the Board of Directors for the enCore Consortium, a nonprofit and largely academic organization dedicated toward improving and making accessible the online learning environment software, enCore. I have served as executive director for Project Achieve, a large and international academic MOO, and as editor-in-chief for a recognized online literary journal. Recent publications include articles about MOO, and a translation from Norwegian to English of an coffee table book which focuses on the historical images of the Stjørdal, Norway region. While I consider Tallahassee, Florida my stateside home and myself—despite a military upbringing and my own time in service—a Southerner, “home” is currently Norway. Married to a native Norwegian I have learned to ski (but not stop), knit, spin, improvise established cooking routines to allow for unavailable ingredients and tools, accept the exorbitantly high cost of living, and complain about the ice at regular intervals.
As a word of warning, you’ll find that a large percentage of this blog will focus on fiber and fibery activities. To say that I am hooked on spinning and all things related to that craft might be an understatement, but there will on occasion be a bit from academic pursuits.
Contact Information
You’re welcome to contact me if you have questions about the site, want permission to use something from the site, and as long as you’re not soliciting for something or flaming me. Spam, solicitations, and flames are automatically deleted without even so much as a glance. Other contact is certainly welcome, and I exist in a variety of other forums (e.g., Spinnershome and Ravelry) as “Trenchwork.” While I do have a Facebook account, I try very hard to limit my presence there, but messages sent via that medium will reach me as well.
Copyright Rhonna J. Robbins-Sponaas.
Provisions for use: After finding my work on an accredited U.S. university’s Department of English web site without permission, notification, or proper credit in violation of every accepted rule of academic ethics (i.e., plagiarized), I’ve grown a bit less trusting. As a result, none of the materials contained on these pages may be used, reproduced, or distributed in any way without my express permission. While I’ll probably give it—assuming you agree to properly cite me or my materials—I demand the professional courtesy of being asked first.