Rachel MacFarlane
Rachel MacFarlane’s interest in the Balkans possibly arose from a past
life—of Midwestern Scottish/English stock, she can find no reasonable explanation as to the
irresistible force which compelled her to study Russian by herself in junior high, then to acquire
a degree in Slavic languages and literatures. On a whim she went folk dancing her first week at
college, heard Macedonian zurla music, and was immediately diverted from Russian studies to South
Slavic, to the dismay of her department head, who envisioned in her a future Pushkin specialist. In
1979 she made her first trip abroad to the Dalmatian coast (from where she retains a fondness for
rosemary, lavender, white wine with mineral water and klapa music), making subsequent
culture/language expeditions to Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Through the many ups and downs of
her life, her passion for the region has never waned. Rachel is currently the General Manager and
Program Director for the East European Folklife Center. She also
designs naturalistic beaded snakes and roasts a mean eggplant.