German Studies 307: Small Print: Short Forms in German Literature

What can short texts—both fictional and non—tell us about the society and culture from which they emerge? How do they negotiate controversial timely matters, introduce us to psychologically complex characters, or break new ground in the ways we tell stories? In this course, we read novellas, essays, speeches, blog posts and other short prose texts from across German cultural history, with special attention paid to writers who are marginalized and often left out of this history. Small Print will provide the students with an overview of literary history in the German-speaking world. We will review and practice key concepts of German grammar, as well as improve reading, speaking, and writing skills in German. Course taught in German.