Blog​​​​​​ ​​​​​​

Tuesday, October 29, 16:15
Campus Westend, Casino 1.812

The dominant narrative in Denmark has long been that Danish colonialism in Greenland was particularly mild and benign, emphasizing the Danes' altruistic efforts to protect the Greenlandic 'people of nature' and help them transition gently into modernity. However, Danish author Iben Mondrup's trilogy of novels – Tabita (2020), Vittu (2022), and Bjørn (2023) – challenges this narrative by depicting the traumatic experiences of two Greenlandic children who are 'stolen' by Danish families and subjected to neglect and trauma. This paper examines the trilogy's potential impact on Danish cultural memory. Drawing on Alison Landsberg's concept of “prosthetic memory", it argues, on the one hand, that the novels can foster empathy and awareness of colonial injustices among Danish readers. On the other hand, it also raises the concern that these prosthetic memories could become what Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang call “moves to innocence" – strategies allowing Danish readers to alleviate feelings of guilt or discomfort about the ongoing effects of colonialism without actually addressing or dismantling colonial structures.

Orientation for American Studies and English Studies for the Winter Semester 2024/25

First-year students can find out everything about studying at the Institue of English and American Studies (IEAS) at the orientation just before the semester starts. Orientation provides an overview of the study programme and the most important study affairs.

The IEAS Literary Journal is composed of a team of IEAS student editors (BA, Lehramt, and MA) who select, edit, and develop at least one annual issue of English-language creative writing by our students. IEAS BA/Lehramt students can apply to be an editor starting in their third semester; MA students are welcome to apply at any time.

Becoming a Journal Editor – Why You Should Do It, and How:

BA AS and ES students may receive up to three extracurricular credit points in total for their participation (2 CPs as an editor/3 CPs as an editor-in-chief; please consult your study plan for further information). Lehramt students do not receive credit points for participation, but they gain valuable experience in developing and managing student-based writing publications.

Applicants do not need prior editorial experience, just the desire to develop different types of texts, work with student authors, and support the editorial team in creating a publication. As an editor you must be able attending meetings, communicate in a clear and professional manner, and engage in detailed discussions about editorial matters.

Ideal applicants love writing, writers, and learning more about how words create narratives; they are also open to discussion and differences in perspective, manage deadlines responsibly, and can work independently as well as in a team.

Note: As an editor, you agree to be part of the editing team for an entire volume; this in a one-year commitment).

Editorial applications are accepted annually from October 1st to March 1st.

To apply, send an email to ieasliteraryjournal@gmail.com with a brief cover letter explaining who you are and specifically why you are interested in joining the editorial team. 

An information meeting for newcomers to The Chaincourt Theatre Company will take place on Tuesday October 22^nd beginning at 18:15.  People are needed for both on- and off-stage work; no theatre experience is necessary.  General auditions for the winter-semester production will follow on Thursday October 24^th at 18:15 and Friday October 26^th at 16:15.  Both meeting and auditions will take place in room NG 1.741b.  No preparation is required for the auditions.  Auditionees will be asked to read either from a stage adaptation of Patrick Modiano’s novel Missing Persons (French title: Rue des Boutiques Obscures) or William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  If neither of these plays can be cast, a third alternative will have to be considered. 

 Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday October 29^th at 18:15; rehearsal times thereafter will include Tuesdays, Wednesdays (possibly) and Thursdays beginning at 18:15 as well as Fridays beginning at 16:15.  Please note that all rehearsals are open-ended.  Technical rehearsals will take place on January 25^th and 26^th, dress rehearsals on January 28^th and 29^th. Current performance dates are January 30^th and 31^st as well as February 1^st, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th; curtain is at 19:30.

              Please direct any questions to James Fisk (fisk@em.uni-frankfurt.de).

On Sept 27, Bernd Herzogenrath was awarded an Honorary Medal of Excellence of Palacký University in Olomouc/Czech Republic. Herzogenrath received this award for his international intensive course that he has been conducting in Olomouc since 2010, with students from Frankfurt, Olomouc, Prague, Bratislava etc. In these workshop, the students are given the chance to do 'practical work' together with scholars, sound artists, and film directors from the USA, e.g. Bill Morrison, David Rothenberg, Eugenie Brinkema, Brian Price, etc.

See https://www.zurnal.upol.cz/nc/zprava/clanek/pametni-medaili-univerzity-palackeho-prevzal-bernd-herzogenrath/