Writing the Present, Writing the Self:
Voices and Themes in Contemporary German Literature
How does literature speak to the present moment? What does it mean to have a literary voice? How can we enjoy reading in an age of distraction?
This course introduces students to some of the engaging voices and themes in contemporary German literature since the fall of the Berlin Wall, focusing on shorter prose fiction and non-fictional writing by a diverse group of writers mostly from the last decade. The stories and novels on our program range from playful accounts of multilingualism and modern media culture to postmodern travelogues, from the exploration of cultural origins and identities to empowering revisions of Romantic myths, from narratives of displacement to the exploration of postmigrant lives. Writers and digital media artists may include Judith Hermann, Christl Clear, Fatma Aydemir, Terézia Mora, Daniel Kehlmann, Saša Stanišić, Yoko Tawada, Tomer Gardi, Alina Bronsky, Toxische Pommes, Olga Grjasnowa, Daniel Schreiber.
Requirements: Active participation, reading journals, midterm, team work and presentations. German 301/302/303 recommended. Readings in German; discussion in German and English.