Michael Swellander
visiting assistant Professor of german
Office: Palamountain 429C
Phone: (518) 580-TBD
Email: mswellander@skidmore.edu
Degree
- Ph.D., Germanic Languages, Columbia University - Dissertation: Understanding the Present: The Representation of Contemporary History in Ludwig B枚rne, Heinrich Heine, and Georg B眉chner
Michael Swellander (Ph.D. Columbia University, 2019) joined the Department of World Languages and Literatures in 2022. His research interests include the history of political literature, aesthetics under censorship, journalism, satire, German nationalism, and the 痴辞谤尘盲谤锄 period (especially Heinrich Heine and Georg B眉chner). He is currently working on a study of how the historicity of literature 鈥� the irresistible trace in literary writing of the times in which its written 鈥� was imagined as being inherently subversive by 痴辞谤尘盲谤锄 writers like Ludwig B枚rne, Heinrich Heine, and the authors of Young Germany.
Michael teaches at all levels of the German curriculum. In his language, literature, and culture courses he encourages students to use German as a means of expressing and questioning their experience. In literature classes, Michael enjoys teaching literary forms that push canonical boundaries, from Kleist鈥檚 anecdotes to Dadaist sound poetry to Stefanie Sargnagel鈥檚 Facebook status updates.
Publications
- 鈥淟udwig B枚rne鈥檚 Incomplete Index of Typographical Errors (1821).鈥� Taking Stock: Media Inventories in the German Nineteenth Century, edited by Sean Franzel, Ilinca Iurascu, and Petra S. McGillen. De Gruyter Oldenbourg 2024, pp. 237-245.
- Cultural Journalism in Germany, 1815-1848: Politics, Literature, History. A Critical Anthology (co-edited with Sean Franzel, University of Missouri). This anthology collects first-time translations of and introductions to key programmatic texts of Restoration-era journalism by 20 scholars in German Studies, Media Studies, and related fields. Under contract with Camden House. Expected 2025.
- 鈥�.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, vol. 98, no.1, 2023, pp. 33-45 Winner of the 2022 Jeffrey L. Sammons Heine Essay Prize
- . Representing Social Precarity in German Literature and Film, edited by Sophie Divernoy, Karsten Olson, and Ulrich Plass. Bloomsbury Academic, 2023, pp. 93-112.
- 鈥�.鈥� The German Quarterly, vol. 95, no. 3, 2022, pp. 244-259. Winner of the 2022 Max Kade Prize for Best Article in The German Quarterly.
Upcoming and recent presentations
- 鈥淢aking German Literature World-Ready in the Journals of Junges Deutschland,鈥� Atkins Goethe Conference 2024, November 7-9, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX.
- "Logopoeia: Reading Heine with Ezra Pound," 47th Annual Conference of the German Studies Association, Montreal, QC, Oct. 5-8, 2023.
- "Don't Call Us Your Sisters": LaToya Manly-Spain's Critique of Leftist Solidarity," 54th Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association, Niagara Falls, NY, March 23-26.
- 鈥淏ertolt Brecht鈥檚 The Measures Taken,鈥� invited guest lecture for graduate seminar 鈥淭heatre History III,鈥� The Actors Studio Drama School, Pace University, September 28, 2022 New York, NY (virtual).
- 鈥淪ubstituting Tin for Bronze: How Censorship Made 痴辞谤尘盲谤锄 Authors Write Longer Books,鈥� MLA 2022 Convention, Washington, D.C., January 6-9, 2022.
- 鈥溾�榊es, He Was a Mighty Poet鈥欌��: Heine鈥檚 鈥楯ehuda Ben Halevy鈥� and World Literature,鈥� MLA 2021 Convention, Toronto, ON, January 7-10, 2021.
- 鈥淪tate Corrections Office: Ludwig B枚rne鈥檚 Errata and the Importance of Error for History,鈥� MLA 2020 Convention, Seattle, WA, January 9-12, 2020.
- 鈥淭he Censored Present: Young Germany鈥檚 Realism,鈥� 43rd Annual Conference of The German Studies Association (GSA), Portland, OR, October 3-6, 2019.
Professional Memberships
- Modern Language Association
- German Studies Association
- The North American Heine Society (board member)