This course will use short German prose to enrich cultural context, increase vocabulary, reinforce grammatical and communicative structures, and introduce methods of literary interpretation.

The big challenges of globalization, migration and change/destruction of nature are issues not only for the sciences but also, increasingly, for the arts and literature. How does contemporary German literature represent these issues? What aspects are especially pressing? What literary forms and means do authors choose to convey new perspectives or views on the issues? In this course we will analyze and discuss selected works of drama, prose and poetry. The course focusses on contemporary literature (Roland Schimmelpfennig, Sasa Stanisic, Andreas Maier/Christine Büchner, Jan Wagner), but we will also contextualize these new works as contributors to a longer literary tradition, as to the epic theatre (Bertolt Brecht), the history of nature poetry (J.v. Eichendorff, J.W.v. Goethe, Ingeborg Bachmann) and prose (Franz Kafka, Peter Weiss). Students are expected to give at least one presentation and to write two papers between 4 and 5 pages in length.

Required texts:

Texts will be available for purchase at the College Bookstore after all placement testing has been completed.