DEPARTMENT OF GERMANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

NEWSLETTER WINTER 2017

lsa.umich.edu/german LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Friends, As we begin the new Gegenwartsliteratur— two authors—Dischereit year in the middle of a contemporary German and Özdoğan—reading in characteristically frigid literature—emerged, in fact, German and Turkish from Michigan winter, I send warm as something of a theme the libretto, a series of greetings from the MLB for our Fall semester, which Klagelieder (laments) for the and invite you to peruse our began with a panel of three victims of crimes committed newsletter for a look back at renowned German authors in recent years by a neo- an eventful Fall Semester. reading from their works and fascist group in Germany. debating the state of German As most of those reading letters today: Özdogan, And just days before boarding this are well aware, German whom we barely gave time a plane back to Cologne, TABLE OF CONTENTS at U-M is known for having to cure his jetlag, was joined Özdoğan gave a wonderful widened the scope from the by Kerstin Hensel and Ulrich reading of excerpts from his 3 Letter from the Chair more traditional concerns Peltzer, both members of own most recent novel, which Faculty Research 4 - 5 with language and literature the Akademie der Künste, students in Professor Kristin of Bees,” or… reading and to include the full array of Germany’s academy of arts. Dickinson’s translation engaging with German Graduate Student Focus 6 - 8 German Studies, from history Our lively discussions with class had rendered into literature in all of the above. In the Classroom 9 and film to music and politics, the authors ranged from how English. For their translation, from museum studies to they write (the importance they were able to draw on I hope you’ll find plenty Undergraduate Student Focus 10 - 11 media theory. It would be of the pencil!) to whether the author’s own insights of interesting news in the Dutch Studies 12 wrong, however, to see in this it is possible to adequately and suggestions; look for following pages and invite broadening a displacement render today’s media some of the results on the you, as ever, to stop by and Scandinavian Studies 13 of literature, which remains environments and mediated Comparative Literature see us: as much as we like Staying Connected 14 - 15 central to much of what experience in literature. translation blog at U-M and to share what goes on here, we do here in the German It was exciting for faculty, in the online journal Transit we love hearing what goes Department. Take only the graduate and undergraduate at UC Berkeley in the on in the lives of our friends impressive series of events students alike to have the coming months! and alumni beyond Michigan! and residencies that we opportunity to engage at hosted this past semester, such close range, so to All of this is to say nothing of Mit herzlichen Grüßen, anchored by our inaugural speak, with practicing literary the fascinating research that Max Kade visiting author, authors from Germany. goes on in this department Selim Özdoğan. Thanks to the (see p. 4-6), of the flourishing generous support of the Kade A few weeks later, the Dutch and Scandinavian Foundation, we were able to well-known author Esther programs (p. 10-13), or of Johannes von Moltke host Özdoğan in Ann Arbor Dischereit visited Michigan the countless ways in which [email protected] for a 4-month stay, during with a moving reading/ students can encounter which he offered public performance of her opera, German language and readings from his work, Blumen für Otello. Organized culture—whether translating visited classes and taught by the transnational German in seminars on translation, a seminar of his own (see p. studies group Alamanya, the singing in courses on 9), and completed his new evening brought together “German Song,” handling novel, the third in a trilogy. dancers, musicians, and bees in “The German Life

2 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 3 FACULTY RESEARCH

Updates on German Faculty Publications and Projects

Kerstin Barndt 2016). She also has an Julia Hell Andy Markovits Helmut Puff of the modern world met. article forthcoming with Exploring sensational cases Wearing her Museums New German Critique Julia Hell completed The Andy Markovits just Toward a History of of violence involving figures Studies hat this year, Kerstin titled "Zafer Şenocak's Conquest of Ruins: European published a new book Waiting (1200-1800) on the social margins— Barndt is finalizing a co- 'Turkish Turn': Acts of Empires and the Fall of called Hillel At Michigan homosexuals, prostitutes, edited book on the history Crosslinguistic Remembrance Rome. Tracing an arc from 1926/7 - 1945: Struggles of The putative omnipresence sexual murderers, the of research museums and in Köşk (The Pavilion)." the Roman Empire to the Jewish Identity in a Pivotal of the experience criminally insane, and collecting, Object Lessons Third Reich, The Conquest Era (Ann Arbor: Maize notwithstanding, waiting the fantasy of ritual and the Formation of of Ruins reconstructs and Books, 2016) [co-authored has hitherto largely escaped murder—Violent Sensations Knowledge: The University Geoff Eley analyzes the long afterlife of with Kenneth Garner]. historical investigation. unlocks the ties between of Michigan’s Museums, the Roman Empire, arguing It “is a temporal region the advances in expert Along with Jennifer Jenkins Libraries and Collections, that acts of post-Roman hardly mapped and badly knowledge and the irrational and Tracie Matysik, Geoff 1817-2017. Research findings mimesis and the imperial Peter McIsaac documented,” as Harold outbursts of violence Eley co-edited German from this project have also imaginaries that they Schweizer formulates. For that would characterize Modernities from Wilhelm to inspired her to pursue engendered revolved around For the seminar “Material the individual, waiting can the twentieth century. Weimar: A Contest of Futures two exhibition projects: scopic scenarios visualizing Culture and its Discontents” be said to be a temporally (Bloomsbury Academic, one small exhibition about the end of the Roman at the 2016 German Studies bounded condition in which 2016), which grew from a nineteenth century zoological Empire. This obsession with Association in San Diego, time becomes experiential. Kira Thurman series of workshops between glass models designed the empire’s end did not Peter McIsaac recently From the vantage point 2005 and 2012 with heavy Kira Thurman's latest by a father and son team, begin with Rome’s imitators. presented part of his work on of society, waiting orders U-M participation, past and article, "Singing the Civilizing Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, On the contrary, the idea of popular anatomy exhibition. social interactions on a present. He is currently on Mission in the Land of Bach, in Dresden, Germany; and the empire’s inevitable end In this project, McIsaac variety of levels – and this leave writing a general history Beethoven, and Brahms: another larger exhibition for arose at the very moment explores the visually arresting is what Helmut Puff seeks of Europe in the 20th century. the Fisk Jubilee Singers the University’s bicentennial when the Roman Empire and at times challenging to capture in his study. in Nineteenth-Century year showcasing the very established its hegemony objects that have helped Germany" appeared in first teaching and research in the Mediterranean. In popular anatomy displays Andreas Gailus September in the Journal collections for the arts, the imagination of Europe’s draw more visitors than any Scott Spector other type of exhibition in of World History. The article humanities, and sciences. Andreas Gailus is completing political and intellectual German history since the Scott Spector just published examines Germans' first his book, titled Forms of elites, this model empire is late nineteenth century. his long-term research sustained cultural encounter Life, which explores the thus at once triumphantly Kristin Dickinson By refining the theoretical project, Violent Sensations: with African American music. discourse of life in German powerful and a remarkably precision with which Sex, Crime, and Utopia in culture from the late 18th fragile fabrication, a Kristin Dickinson edited to think about material Vienna and Berlin, 1860- century to 1945. During monumental memory- a special issue on objects in these exhibitions, 1900, which explores the the Fall, Andreas presented fortress and a vast ruinscape Sabahattin Ali titled McIsaac is working to growing metropolises of turn- parts of his book at the that continues to exert "Sabahattin Ali's Translingual understand the ways popular of-the-century central Europe GSA in San Diego and at pressure on our ways of Transnationalism" in the exhibitions operate as a as the stage where decadent the U-M Institute for the thinking about empire. Türkisch-Deutsche Studien kind of mass medium. and enlightened images Top image: Specimens from Kerstin Barndt’s research. Humanities, where he Second image: From Julia Hell's research: Contemplating Jahrbuch (December the Ruins of Palmyra: Volney, Ruines, ou Meditations was a Fellow last year. sur les Revolutions des Empires (1791). Bottom image: Image from Scott Spector’s research

4 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 5 GRADUATE STUDENT FOCUS

Welcome Fall 2016 Graduate Student Cohort! Research Snapshot at the Graduate Level By Peter McIsaac

Lauren Lauren Beck returns to the Elizabeth McNeill received Rhiannon’s research At the end of September, snapshot of the entire range and West German post- and video games. Thanks Beck University of Michigan, where her BA summa cum laude interests currently lie graduate students gathered of research being conducted industrial landscape parks to their careful preparation, she recieved her bachelors from the University of Florida in the contemporary along with Department faculty on the graduate level. were followed by projects students made the most of degree in Russian, Eastern in 2013, majoring in History representations of Arab- for the annual Summer on Nazi architecture and their allotted time, managing European, and Eurasian and her own Interdisciplinary Germans, especially in Research Colloquium. With eleven students taking media, German colonialism to review their research Studies and German Honors Studies major, Gender German rap music, and Created as a venue for part in the event and two in the Pacific, and important questions, how they sought in 2015. Before returning to Representation in History. translation theory. students to present results joining via teleconference German gay rights activists. answers, and the progress U-M, she taught English in Upon graduating from UF, of the research they conduct from Berlin, this year’s The work took students to they made, all before taking Onyx Henry Saxony through the Fulbright Elizabeth developed her Erik Pomrenke graduated between May and August, Colloquium was fast libraries and archives not only questions and suggestions English Teaching Assistant language skills by taking from the University of Virginia the Colloquium represents an paced and intense. Topics all over the US and Germany, for future work. By the end program. Lauren is broadly German language classes with High Honors in 2014, opportunity for students to were rich and varied, but also to Australia and of the Colloquium, it became interested in visual culture, at the Heinrich Heine where he studied German communicate core aspects reflecting the wide range of Papua New Guinea. As many clear that a single event might particularly poster and leaflet Universität Düsseldorf and Literature and Anthropology. of their projects to peers and interdisciplinary approaches other presentations showed, not suffice to do justice to the art in the interwar period living with a German family After his graduation from faculty normally uninvolved students are taking to students are interrogating fascinating work taking place and WWII, and East German as their au pair. Elizabeth the University of Virginia, with the details of their German Studies material. an equally impressive over the summer months. Elizabeth literature, among many other studied at the Justus Liebig he taught English as an day-to-day work. Unlike any Studies reconstructing variety of media and cultural McNeill areas. She also maintains Universität in Gießen, where ETA through the Fulbright other Department event, public health exhibitions and production, ranging from film an interest in Soviet culture she also worked as a bilingual scholarship in Dresden, the Colloquium presents a the networks behind East and literary writing to comics and history and often seeks editor and translator at Germany, where he developed out connections between the International Graduate a great fondness for all things Germany and Eastern Europe. Centre for the Study of East German. He is interested Culture. Elizabeth’s research broadly in the intellectual Onyx Henry completed her interests revolve around history of Europe, focusing Rhiannon BA in German at Wofford 20th-century literary and mainly on intersections Muncaster College and an MEd in visual culture, gender and of theology, lyrical poetry, Congratulations, Graduates! Foreign Language Education sexuality, and modernity. and hermeneutics. at Ohio State University. In the years following, she Rhiannon Muncaster Tina Tahir is an installation Ariana Orozco successfully Jennie Cain successfully volunteered with the Ohio graduated summa cum artist whose temporary defended her dissertation, defended her dissertation, Reading Corps through laude from the University site interventions and “Memory and Material “The Aesthetics of Rudolf AmeriCorps, and spent a of Illinois at Chicago with textual ruins cross the Erik Culture in Contemporary Steiner and Spiritual Pomrenke year in Berlin as an English a BA in Germanic Studies boundaries of art, design, German Prose by Jenny Modernism,” September 9, Teaching Assistant with and Spanish. Her honors experimental writing, and Erpenbeck and Judith 2016. Degree conferral date: the Fulbright Commission. thesis, The Evolution of critical theory. She received Schalansky,” July 1, 2016. December 18, 2016. Most recently, Onyx worked Audiovisual Translation: an MFA in Studio Arts from Degree conferral date: as a German lecturer at the Norms and Methods the University of Illinois at August 19, 2016. Ariana Furman University. Onyx’s of Amateur Translation in Chicago and an MA in Visual is currently a Mellon research interest deals with Anime Fansubbing, dealt and Critical Studies from the Postdoctoral Fellow at Tina Tahir the representation of Afro- with the evolving standards School of the Art Institute of Kalamazoo College. Germans, especially in 19th of audiovisual translation Chicago. Tahir is a current and 20th century German practice as influenced by fellow of the transdisciplinary, children's and youth literature. amateur, fan translations intercollegiate Field Trip/ of Japanese anime through Field Notes/Field Guide the analysis of German Consortium hosted by the and Spanish fansubs. University of Chicago.

6 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 7 GRADUATE STUDENT FOCUS IN THE CLASSROOM

The Transnational Comics Studies Workshop Max Kade Visiting Author: Selim Özdoğan By Elizabeth (Biz) Nijdam By Kristin Dickinson

await. The recipient of the deceased Leonard Cohen had Adelbert von Chamisso Prize on his own writing, muses Förderpreis in 1999, Özdoğan on his American experience Despite considerable network for comic scholars to has held fellowships from in the “bubble” that is Ann evidence of the cultural support each other. With the diverse organizations such Arbor and the University of significance of the comics founding of the Transnational as the Literaturbüro NRW Michigan, responds to the medium, comics studies Comics Studies Workshop, (2006), the Arts Foundation recent election in the US is still only an emerging students, lecturers, faculty of North-Rhine Westphalia and the situation in Turkey, discipline. Art Spiegelman’s members, staff, and librarians (2014), and the Robert Bosch compares German and Maus may have won the have come together to Stiftung (2015). Özdoğan American politics, notes Pulitzer Prize over two pursue topics in comics has also collaborated with the differences between decades ago, signaling that studies, workshop research, the film director Fatih Akin his fictional characters comics had finally gained and participate in fieldtrips. (Gegen die Wand; Auf der and himself, and riffs on the recognition needed Furthermore, thanks to the This academic year, the anderen Seite), written the complicated German to allow them entry into generous support of the department inaugurated a a weekly column for Zeit notion of Heimat. Above image: Students Mary academia, and the scholarly Rackham Graduate School writer in residence program. Online, and has substantial Boyd (left) and Susan LaMoreaux With support of the Max acceptance of graphic novels and many other departments (right) with Özdoğan during his experience working with At the core of his residency is widespread; but specialists on campus, the workshop writing workshop. Kade Foundation, we invited students at different levels. with the department was a in comics studies are rare, has been able to invite a German novelist, writer, and one-credit writing workshop, To view his interview with the as are courses devoted to number of guest speakers spoken-word artist Selim Having arrived at the which met for two hours Austin Chronicle, visit Özdoğan to join the faculty the medium. So while the to present on topics as www.austinchronicle.com/daily/ beginning of September, a week over the course question of whether comics diverse as the AIDS crisis arts/2016-11-15/looking-from- during the Fall term. A Özdoğan visited a number of seven weeks. In the have a place in academic in LGBTQ comics, comics the-outside-with-selim-ozdogan/ bilingual German author of of classes within the course, students learned scholarship has been and disability, Jewishness Turkish heritage, Özdoğan Department, ranging from about literature and its settled, comic studies as an in American comics, and was born in Adana, Turkey in our workshop in literary techniques by creating their independent discipline still comics pedagogy. 1971 and moved to Germany translation to seminars in own short story. Student struggles for legitimacy. The at a young age. His first literature and culture. He Mary Boyd writes, “It was a question remains: where does For more information on novel, Es ist so einsam im also read from and discussed good opportunity to revisit this emerging field belong? the Transnational Comics Sattel, seit das Pferd tot ist his writings at a Symposium creative writing after years of Studies Workshop and to join (It’s so Lonesome in the on Contemporary German writing analytical, argument- In 2015, Elizabeth (Biz) the Transnational Comics Saddle Since the Horse Died) Literature in September, based papers. He wanted Nijdam founded the Studies Google Group, was published in 1995. He participated in the live us to question the way we Transnational Comics Studies please contact Biz Nijdam has since published ten performance of Esther interact with creativity and Rackham Interdisciplinary ([email protected]). You novels and four short story Dischereit’s Blumen für art in our daily lives.” Susan Workshop as the first official can also like us on Facebook collections. He is currently Otello (Flowers for Otello) LaMoreaux shares, “What I forum for comics studies at (www.facebook.com/ completing the last novel last October, and traveled to enjoyed most about our time the University of Michigan. transnationalcomicsstudies) of a trilogy centered around other University campuses with Selim was the way he Scholarship and teaching on and check out our website the experiences of the in the US for readings and worked to flip the classroom. comics and graphic novels for upcoming events protagonist Gül, from her discussions. During his last I found it very rewarding to had been gaining momentum (http://transnationalcomicsst early years as a young woman visit, which took him to the work with a teacher who both across campus for years, udiesworkshop.blogspot.com). growing up in rural Turkey University of Texas at Austin, challenged and encouraged most notably in the work on during the 1940s (Die Tochter Özdoğan gave an interview to students, promoting true graphic memoir by Sid Smith des Schmieds), through her the Austin Chronicle, entitled growth." The Department Above image: MK Czerwiec presented on AIDS in LGBTQ comics and her and Maya Barzilai’s recent arrival and gradual integration “Looking from the Outside.” extends a fond "Auf forthcoming publication, Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 in Germany (Heimstraße 52), In the interview, he describes Wiedersehen" to Selim and Bottom image: Paul Buhle presented "Jews and American Comics, with a book on the Golem figure, Strong Personal note" in October but there existed no formal to the final installment whose the impact the recently looks forward to return visits! publication we now eagerly 8 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 9 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT FOCUS

Wonen in Nederland Living in the Netherlands By Mylaica Cobbin Conner (AB ’17)

In September 2015, I outside of the classroom. I met many people during decided that I wanted to I was able to practice at my time abroad; some that I end my undergraduate stores, restaurants, walking know will be lifelong friends program in another country, down streets reading signs, and others who have inspired on a continent that I had listening to conductors while me in many ways. I was never been to. I applied traveling, and interacting fortunate to have English for a program at Leiden with locals. A small cultural as my first language and University that required me thing I learned in my language to learn Dutch before and to live in the Netherlands for course is the difference while in the Netherlands; six months. I knew it would between saying ‘my friend’ most of my peers did not be a challenge, but I was or ‘mijn vriend’ and ‘a friend have that background. From completely willing to take it of mine’ or ‘een vriend them I learned bravery and on. I signed up for a plethora van mij’; one introduces fearlessness to embark on of psychology courses that a romantic partner, no any journey I set my mind would count towards my matter the gender, while the to. In my psychology courses major and a Dutch language other introduces a friend. I was able to compare course to complete my Learning small things like that the different cultures of fourth semester language allowed me to understand education and be challenged. requirement. I was able to the meaning of dialogue. learn more about Dutch and From the moment I arrived European culture in general My daily life included and got completely lost while also being able to meet attending lecture, going and confused to the day I people from various walks to the library (during exam left feeling like I could help of life and various countries. time), exploring Den Haag, people find their way and I was able to expand my Leiden and Amsterdam communicate in Dutch, it cultural lens and learn about (solo or with others), going was amazing. I am extremely myself in the process. to the grocery store, cooking grateful for my experience dinner and watching Netflix. in such a beautiful country. Culture is beautiful to me; My weekends were full of Being in the Netherlands for it’s one of those things exploring and attending so long taught me so much that contribute to the way parties and gatherings put and I feel I will never say people view the world, make on by international groups goodbye, but see you later, decisions, and interact on campus. I learned the to the wonderful country. with others, and it is quite train and tram system quite fascinating. I chose the well and was able to travel to Netherlands because I Scheveningen daily (a beach think one of the keys to in Den Haag), Kasteel de understanding a culture is Haar for Mother’s Day with to understand the language. my parents, Amsterdam if I Prior to going abroad I had wanted excitement, Leiden for taken three semesters lecture and my friends, and of Dutch. Being in the the Frisian Islands as a way Netherlands gave me the to end my time abroad with opportunity to speak Dutch a group of amazing people.

10 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 11 DUTCH STUDIES SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES

21st Annual De Vries – Van der Kooy Memorial Lecture with Ronald Bartlema The Signe Karlström Event By Annemarie Toebosch By Johanna Eriksson

In the 1970s, well before children as partners in in Dutch versus American the United Nations drafted society. Through depictions politics were driven home its language of children’s of news fragments and implicitly. Dutch party leaders rights to news and descriptions of protocols, Mr. hold an intimate (and funny!) The 2016 Signe Karlström Akvavit Theatre, an fantastic in their roles. The information, the national Bartlema laid out the NOS annual Jeugdjournaal Event was a three-day independent theatre production will travel to a public television organization Jeugdjournaal’s mission: debate for kids. American theatre festival celebrating group from Chicago with theatre festival in Poland of the Netherlands, NOS, presidential candidates the Swedish playwright a repertoire focused on in the summer of 2017. asked Dutch children if they "Raising engaged and hold gameshow-like rallies Lars Norén, who has been contemporary Scandinavian would like a news program critical-thinking citizens and bombastic election widely performed in Sweden, Drama, read Blood (1994), Swedish-born and New of their own. The large in today’s world of grand-finales. This was throughout Scandinavia, and directed by Kirstin Franklin York-based translator Marita majority of Dutch children unwieldy information" a lecture that said it all in other European countries Hammergren. The play Lindholm Gochman was also said they would. They asked without saying too much. since the early 1980s. Lars is an Oedipus-drama with us for the weekend. for a program presented In footage that included Norén, who is regarded as revolving around a young She met with the Swedish by both genders, with big wars, refugee crises and A video of the lecture can the most important Swedish son lost in the military coup students and participated national and international environmental disasters, be found on the Germanic playwright since August in Chile in the 1970s. in talkbacks. Marita has news, with news about audience members saw Languages and Literatures Strindberg, has written more translated around 30 of children, and with humor. what Dutch children see. website, under Dutch than 70 plays and is still very In addition to the readings, Norén’s plays into English The NOS Jeugdjournaal And they learned of the care and Flemish Studies, active. Always in step with Akvavit Theatre’s Chad since the 1980s. With the was born in 1981 as the and thinking that go into De Vries – Van der Kooy society, his newest plays deal Bergman held a workshop for recent publication of the second children’s news bringing difficult news to Memorial lecture. We thank with immigration, integration, students, initially created for plays in her translation program in the world. On children, always clear and all our donors for their and the tension between actors joining Akvavit theatre by Richard Altschuler & October 6, Ronald Bartlema, free of taboos but never generous sponsorship. different ethnic groups. who are new to Scandinavian Associates, Inc./Chauser Jeugdjournaal Editor-in- haphazard. All difficult drama. Bergman explained Press Books, Norén may Chief of 17 years, captivated Jeugdjournaal news is told For our festival, three of these actors were often see a US breakthrough. an audience of nearly 100 with kid-appropriate expert Norén’s plays were performed unaccustomed to the university and community explanations and with at the Walgreen Drama amount of silence and The Norén festival was made members as he presented child perspectives given Center: Terminal 3, Blood, ambiguity found in possible thanks to funding the 21st De Vries – Van der in children’s own voices, and War. Terminal 3 (2006), contemporary Scandinavian from the Signe Karlström Kooy Memorial lecture “NOS on the scene and around a staged reading directed by drama. Theater students Fund, the Swedish Institute, Jeugdjournaal: How a Pioneer the world. The audience Residential College drama and Swedish language and SWEA Michigan. It in Children’s News Prepares also learned how American faculty Kate Mendeloff, is students worked together was organized by the Dutch Children for the World”. news is presented and an emotionally charged on exploring and learning Scandinavian Program in perceived by Dutch children Top Image: The audience drama about a couple in two to understand the style. collaboration with The Beyond providing the story of and the culture. 9/11 is a waiting for War different stages of life, sitting School of Music, Theatre a specific news organization, household word, Obama Middle image: War in a hospital waiting room: as Most polished of the and Dance and the U-M Bottom image: Visiting actors the lecture painted a clear a Dutch children’s hero, from Akvavit Theatre young parents, waiting to give performances was professor Residential College. Almost picture of the Dutch societal gun violence an outlandish birth, and simultaneously, 20 Malcolm Tulip's studio 400 people attended the approach to child-raising, phenomenon, and Miley years later, back to identify production of War (2005). He events, which were free which normalizes (rather than Cyrus’s sexually explicit video the body of their only son. directed an intensely physical and open to the public. dramatizes and idealizes) a normal Dutch elementary It was a fine performance and anxiously wired take on childhood, and respects school discussion. Contrasts by Residential College how war brutalizes people. students Will Arnuk and Students Lila Hood, Lauren Emma McGlashen, long Balone, Aaron Huey, Zoey time Shakespeare in the Arb Bond and Ryan Rosenheim Top image: Jeugdjournaal logo/graphic actors Graham Atkin and Rob from the School of Music, Bottom image: Annemarie Toebosch, Director of Dutch and Sulewski, and Mendeloff. Theatre and Dance were Flemish Studies, with Ronald Bartlema

12 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 13 STAYING CONNECTED

U-M German Graduate Student Reunion By Jeff Vahlbusch

In the fall of 1983, five In the fall of 2016, almost Rob Bloomer, PhD 1990 Middlebury Institute of Jeff Vahlbusch, PhD 1998 graduate students in exactly thirty-three years later, International Studies). Germanic Languages & the five original Burschen Since finishing the PhD The lure of the emerging After finally completing Literatures rented a house and Ehrenburschen Geoff in Germanic Linguistics Silicon Valley proved to be my overgrown dissertation together on First Street, wittily Howes and Klaus Tappe (1990), I have continued too much, and I joined the on Marxist responses dubbed the Burschenpalast, got together again in Ann working in the field, with business world. Today I to Nietzsche, also as a by friend and fellow German Arbor around a large table jobs at the Universität am chief marketing officer Doktorkind of Ingo Seidler, graduate student, Geoff in a beautiful Air BnB. Bayreuth (1989-1993) at Swrve, a mobile startup and after teaching at colleges Howes, in conversation Fueled by great affection, and the State University of with headquarters in San and universities in Ohio, with the wonderful extraordinary memories New York at Stony Brook Francisco and Dublin, Ireland. Maryland, and Kentucky, Mechthild Medzihradsky. of department faculty and (1993 to present). On I joined the outstanding friends, and ein Bier oder some weekends I enjoy a Geoff Howes, PhD 1985 German program in the Beyond the shared love vier, we talked through a beer and a schnitzel at Zum Department of Languages at of German (and Dutch) whole long weekend. Schneider in the East Village. After finishing my dissertation the University of Wisconsin– language and culture, and on Robert Musil in 1985, I Eau Claire (1999). For the shared work of graduate We also visited old haunts Garry Davis, PhD 1986 spent a year at Minnesota, the past 7+ years, I’ve classes and teaching, the key like the MLB, Maison and then taught at Bowling also been director of the to this remarkable fellowship Edwards, and Frank’s It was great to be back in Green State University extraordinary University were the meals: each week Restaurant, and mourned the Ann Arbor to see old friends! until I retired in 2015 to Honors Program there. night at dinnertime we passing of institutions like the After getting my PhD I joined devote myself to literary gathered at the large round original Borders Bookstore, the German Department at translation. When I can, I table in the dining room, and White Market, and Drake’s the University of Wisconsin in visit my Doktorvater Ingo one Bursche cooked for all. Sandwich Shop. Of course Milwaukee. I currently serve Seidler in Vienna, where we made a pilgrimage to the as Professor of German and he’s lived since retiring. Most of us completed house on First Street, where Linguistics, and chair the our graduate work just as the photos of the original Linguistics Department there. Chris Stevens, PhD 1990 personal computers were five Burschen were taken. Milwaukee is a great German- arriving on campus, and American city, but there's I wrote my dissertation, In Memoriam: Roy Cowen did our research using the no place like Ann Arbor! titled Directional Adverbs in Harlan Hatcher Graduate 14th Century Southwestern Roy taught at U-M for over forty years, joining Library card catalog and Martin Doettling, ABD 1987 German: A Study in Historical the German department with a PhD from Göttingen scholarly bibliographies in Dialectology, under the in 1960 and retiring at the end of 2001. The author book form. Somehow we still I came to Michigan direction of Robert L. Kyes. of numerous books on the history of German Above images: From left: Chris Stevens, Garry Davis, had time for happy hours after attaining an MA at After graduating in Spring literature, he served as the department chair from Martin Doettling, Jeff Vahlbusch, and Rob Bloomer at Thano's Lamplighter on Michigan State and doing of 1990, my first job was a 1979 to 1985. in 1983 (top) and 2016 (bottom). Liberty Street with its free undergraduate work at the tenure-track position in the buffet of fried smelt and Albert-Ludwigs-Universität department of Germanic other tidbits, where we Freiburg. I completed my Languages at UCLA and I celebrated exams completed ABD in 1987 and moved have been here ever since. and prospectuses defended. west to Monterey, where I led the German Department at the Monterey Institute (today known as the

14 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures lsa.umich.edu/german 15 Cover Photos

Top photo: Detail from Rackham Graduate School, Sarah Nesbitt. Bottom Left photo: Detail from Rackham Graduate School, Sarah Nesbitt. Bottom Right photo: Detail of mural on the side of Potbelly, downtown Ann Arbor, Sarah Nesbitt.

Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures 812 East Washington Street 3110 Modern Languages Building Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 -1275 (734) 764-8018 • www.lsa.umich.edu/german

Chair: Johannes von Moltke Asst. Editor & Layout: Annie Varner & Nina Barraco

The Regents of The University of Michigan Michael J. Behm Mark J. Bernstein Shauna Ryder Diggs Denise Ilitch Andrea Fischer Newman Andrew C. Richner Ron Weiser Katherine E. White Mark S. Schlissel (ex officio)

Giving to German, Dutch, and Scandinavian Studies In these times of economic uncertainty and potential budget cuts, we are grateful to our many supporters and benefactors for their trust and gifts of support. The quality and diversity of the programs and opportunities we provide for graduate and undergraduate students would not be possible without this support. Please consider making a donation this year.