This literature essay highlights nostalgia in Lars Lerin's writing. Lerin is perhaps primarily known as a visual artist rather than a writer, the visual material can be found in all his literary works and are important to Lerin's storytelling. Based on this important visual material, I have in this study chosen to use Kerstin Hellberg's concept of iconotext as a methodological starting point to analyze images and text as a common mode of expression. As a broader theoretical approach, I have chosen to use Theodor Adorno's theory of art as a tool of truth and his concept of mastery of nature to highlight the nostalgic aspect of Lerin's writing.

Lerin is a self-proclaimed nostalgist, a large part of his artwork deals with bygone times and places. In this essay, two works are analyzed; Det tysta köket (2002) and Elsa i Skrädtartorp och hennes 28 katter (2022), in these works Lerin uses both nostalgic perspectives and themes to describe places and people. To more clearly elucidating the nostalgic in the analyzed works I have chosen to use the historian Christopher Lasch's three factors for the postmodern renaissance of nostalgia. According to Lasch, these three are cultural pessimism, fear of the future and quest for identity. These factors are primary used to lend the text a clearer structure to pinpoint the nostalgic elements of Lerins writings. In this essay I show with examples from the books how and what is nostalgic in Lerin's writing, selected quotes are analyzed from the theoretical basis mentioned above.

The conclusion I have reached in this study is that Lerin's longing for a nostalgic past act as a catalyst in his authorship. He manages to accurately describe people and places in a both longing and loving way.

Key words: Lerin, Nostalgia, cultural pessimism, place-space, mastery of nature.