Biography
Growing up in a very small town in Minnesota, Rolf became very curious about Japan around the age of 4. The item that began his journey was an old 45 rpm single, "Sukiyaki". The record had Japanese characters written on it, but no one in his family could read them, and when Rolf was told to look up "Japan" in the old encyclopedia, the pictures amazed him. What he saw was enough to set him on a lifelong quest to understand all things Japanese. Can you imagine what he saw?
Research Interests
- Sōtō Zen Buddhism, which was founded by Dōgen (1200-1253 CE).
- Dōgen has been called a "mystic realist", and his writing is full of unusual phrases that do not follow conventional boundaries. Wordplay is a favorite pastime, so digging in and may lead to something enlightening in the process .
- 12th & 13th century Japanese literature:
- Hōjōki ("An Account of My Hut"), a work of Classical Japanese literature by Kamo no Chōmei (1155-1215)
- Heavily influenced by Buddhism, he depicts his life as a hermit on the outskirts of old Kyoto. He was also a renowned poet.
- Hōbutsushū (Collection of Treasures) by Taira no Yasuyori (1146-1220)
- Buddhist text on life's greatest treasure from the viewpoint of someone once banned for insurrection but later exonerated. The text includes over 400 poems.
- Hōjōki ("An Account of My Hut"), a work of Classical Japanese literature by Kamo no Chōmei (1155-1215)
- Japanese poetry (waka and haiku) across the ages as a visual tour guide to the heart (kokoro) of Japan.
Education
BA, University of Minnesota, Japanese Language & Literature 1985
MEd, DePaul University College of Education, World Languages, 2023