The Duke English Department is privileged to have Professor Victor Strandberg as part of its faculty. His dedication is evident in his 59-year tenure, during which he has educated and inspired thousands of individuals. His impact extends beyond the classroom, influencing students' implicit learning and shaping their contributions to the world.
Through the decades, he has taught countless courses on poetry, American literature, and specific authors, including his favorite American author, William Faulkner. During sabbaticals from Duke Professor Strandberg has taught abroad in the Czech Republic, Japan, and Morocco.
Five of our 2024-2025 English Ambassadors, a prestigious group of students selected for their exceptional passion for English and their potential to inspire others, recently had the opportunity to chat with Professor Strandberg. The visit started with him showing the students the news clippings and other items he has collected over the years to adorn his tiny office on the third floor of the Allen Building.
Seated in the Duke English Undergraduate lounge, a space that fosters a sense of community and intellectual exchange among students and faculty, the group engaged in a heartfelt conversation with Professor Strandberg. The ambassadors took turns delving into the professor's experiences and deep-rooted love for the subject of English, a love that he holds close to his heart and shares with his students.
Trisha Santanam, '26, provided a brief introduction and asked how the department has changed over the nearly six decades Professor Strandberg has been with Duke English.
“In 1966 the faculty was told what they had to teach …I think it’s good to have that plus some free choice…in the curriculum now I think it’s almost entirely free choice.”
- Professor Strandberg
Lily Egol, '26, inquired about why Professor Strandberg feels it is essential for people to study English and its overall benefits.
“It’s vitally important to develop the conscience to develop a bond across you know the whole human species. We have to do that…there are other ways to do it, but great writers give us an enormous opening of the mind in that fashion. That’s the most important reason to study (English) I think.” – Professor Strandberg
Gabriella Carter, '25, asked how he manages to stay enthusiastic about the subject of English.
“The reason I am still teaching at age 89, is if I retire, the one thing I would want to in my retirement is to teach literature to undergraduates.” – Professor Strandberg
Strandberg was asked about what drew him to study the field of English by Sophia Berg '27. He is an alum of Clark University and obtained his MA and Ph.D. from Brown University.
“If I hadn’t crossed paths with this one professor, I would have never gone to grad school…I thought I would probably flunk out when I got there…I was greatly surprised that I did fairly well when I got there…One feature coming from a poor family is if I got a chance in life, I would grab it. I think this was one of the virtues of coming from an impoverished family.”
– Professor Strandberg
Natalia Harnisch, '27, was interested in learning how the atmosphere at Duke University has changed over the years.
“We shouldn’t even have a grade scale as far as I can tell, but we can’t quite do without it yet. That’s a dilemma that someone else will have to solve. I will be retired before that happens.”
– Professor Strandberg
The students were also interested in hearing Professor Strandberg’s view of the future of Duke English. Professor Strandberg shared that he hasn’t thought a lot about the future but feels that there will be a continuous shift from a traditional English Department toward a Cultural Study department, which broads the department.
Throughout this academic year, Duke University has celebrated its Centennial. As 2024 ends, the Duke English Department honors Professor Victor Strandberg, who has been a part of more than half of those years. Thank you, Professor Strandberg, for all you have given, continue to offer and will provide to the Duke University English Department in the future.
