Olson, Kirby 1956-

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OLSON, Kirby 1956-

PERSONAL: Born September 16, 1956, in Mason City, IA; son of Arne L. (a professor of kinesiology) and Joanna (a first-grade teacher; maiden name, Wilson) Olson; married Riikka Lahdensvo, August 4, 1998; children: Lola, Tristan Tommy. Ethnicity: "White." Education: Evergreen State College, B.A., 1979; University of Washington, Seattle, Ph.D., 1994. Politics: "Wildly fluctuating." Religion: Lutheran. Hobbies and other interests: Badminton, humor.

ADDRESSES: Home—24 Crestwood Dr., Delhi, NY 13753. Office—Evenden 707, State University of New York—Delhi, 13753. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: University of Washington, Seattle, acting instructor, 1994-95; University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland, assistant professor, 1995-2000; State University of New York—Delhi, Delhi, NY, assistant professor, 2001—.

WRITINGS:

Comedy after Postmodernism, Texas Tech University Press (Lubbock, TX), 2001.

Gregory Corso: Doubting Thomist, Southern Illinois University Press, 2002.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Andrei Codrescu and the Open Society; research on the role of humor in contemporary society.

SIDELIGHTS: Kirby Olson told CA: "My primary motivation for writing is a desire to improve the standing of humorists. My work is particularly influenced by postmodernism, especially Lyotard. I am Lutheran, with roots in St. Augustine. I feel that humor is a much neglected aspect of Christian spirituality."