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This volume documents the triple-series Austrian-American Podium Dialog held at Lafayette College in 2013, 2015, and 2018 to which twelve Austrian authors were invited and paired with scholars from American universities and colleges. After the introductory essays that explain how the symposia came about and what took place, the volume offers seventeen literary texts, in their original German as well as in English translations, that were read during the symposia followed by seven scholarly essays that introduce the Austrian writers and provide insightful interpretations of their diverse literatures. Excerpts from conversations among the writers, scholars and German undergraduate students give testimony to the enlightened and spirited dialogs about the role of literature and their personal writing and the literary production in today’s Austria. Additionally, two scholars reflect on their experiences and tell how they influenced their subsequent collaboration with the writers at their respective universities. The entire volume, intended for reading and teaching Austrian literature not only in German departments but also in English and comparative literature departments, is accessible to English-speakers. “PASSAGES is the result of years of conversations, workshops, and conferences on Austrian Studies and literature from 2007 to the present. This compelling volume includes literary texts by contemporary Austrian writers in the original German and English translation that are supplemented by academic essays analyzing these texts. This insightful approach combines recent developments in Cultural Studies and literature and is highly recommended for both academic and non-academic audiences.”—Axel Hildebrandt, Moravian University... “PASSAGES, a remarkable volume edited by Margarete Lamb-Faffelberger and Gabriele Petricek, is a testament to the vibrancy of the ongoing transatlantic dialogues and intellectual exchanges between contemporary Austrian writers, North American scholars, and students in the field of Austrian Studies. Chronicling a series of conversations between Austrian writers and North American scholars and students that took place at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York between 2013 and 2018, the volume makes accessible, in both German and English translation, some of the most exciting literature being produced in Austria today. The literary texts are accompanied by a series of essays written by prominent North American scholars. These exciting engagements with the authors featured here are rounded out by excerpts from the lively discussions in which writers, scholars, and students engaged during their meetings. PASSAGES eloquently speaks to the liveliness of the ongoing intercultural dialogue between Austria and North America, and to the lasting import of literature.”—Imke Meyer, Professor of Germanic Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago...
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