Peter Balaam, Associate Professor of English
Peter Balaam is the primary “early Americanist” for Carleton’s English department. His research focuses on the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century American poetry, and the connections among religion, culture, and literature. He’s found that his graduate studies in divinity have given him a unique lens in which to view the surprisingly “devious and very subversive” poet.
“To read [Emerson] in the new way is an adventure that just never ends. It’s just so fascinating and powerful. [But] it’s hard. . . It’s like riddles or something. He undermines all stable ground, and it’s very existential to read him.”
Academics at Work: Peter Balaam’s investigation of the deeper meanings of Emerson