Hi there! My name is Heiko Zimmermann. I'm a lecturer in English literature and culture.
The things I'm currently doing: teaching English Literature and Culture at the University of Education Ludwigsburg, writing both scholarly papers and articles for magazines, talking at conferences, doing web and print design, discussing contemporary literature on stage, playing the guitar, growing veggies and flowers in my allotment.
Things I did in the past: writing a PhD thesis about the reconfigurations of authors and readers in digital literature, teaching literature at the Universities of Trier, Bayreuth and Sivas, and Trinity College Dublin, studying a teachers' course of Physics and English, working with mentally disabled people, writing in a creative writing group in Leeds/UK, working with exchange students, playing volleyball, coding and working as a swapper in the C64 demo scene, selling my first computer game to a publishing house when I was sixteen, living in a lovely flat with a tiled stove for seven years, starring in a GCSE listening comprehension test... (to be continued)
You can contact me via email. If you are a student of mine, rather come to my office hours. Sometimes I offer sweets and cookies.
For my students at PH Ludwigsburg, the Universities of Trier, Bayreuth and Trinity College Dublin, I have collected some materials here.
Scholarly
- Anna Kwiatowska, Krzysztof Fordoński, and Heiko Zimmermann. "Academic Celebration of E. M. Forster in Ludwigsburg." Papers on Language & Literature: A Journal for Scholars and Critics of Language and Literature (PLL) 55.4 (Fall 2019): 402-407. Print.
- "Fry Me Home! The Semiotics of Food in Representations of Cross-Cultural Negotiations of Identity and Community in Contemporary Media Texts." [In preparation].
- "Cr3473! The Benefits of Using Electronic Creative Writing in the Teaching of Literature." [In preparation].
- Edited Special (Forsterian) Issue (with Anna Kwiatkowska) of Polish Journal of English Studies 3.2 (2017--published 2018). Journal of the Polish Association for the Study of English (PASE), ISSN 2543-5981.
- Chapter "Electronic Literature and Its Departure from the Supremacy of the Author Function." Literary Studies and the Philosophy of Literature: New Interdisciplinary Directions. Ed. Andrea Selleri, and Philip Gaydon. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-33147-8]
- Book Autorschaft und digitale Literatur: Geschichte, Medienpraxis und Theoriebildung. Trier: WVT, 2015. Print. Handbücher und Studien zur Medienkulturwissenschaft 11. (ISBN 978-3-86821-617-2)
- "Performance and Social Interaction: New Challenges for the Archiving of Digital Writing." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 16.5 (Purdue U P, 2014): New Works on Electronic Literature and Cyberculture.
- "Diverging Strategies of Remembrance in Traditional and Web-2.0 On-Line Projects." Cybercultures: Mediations of Community, Culture, Politics. Ed. Harris Breslow and Aris Mousoutzanis. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2012. 151-63. Print. Critical Issues 83. At the Interface/Probing the Boundaries. [DOI: 10.7771/1481-4374.2495]
- Rekonfigurationen des textuellen Handlungsraums digitaler Literatur unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Autorschaft: Geschichte, theoretische Ansprüche und deren Wechselwirkungen in der digitalen Medienpraxis. Doctoral Thesis (300 pp.). U of Trier, 2012. Print.
- "Teaching E. M. Forster in 2010: Essayistic Reflections." New Aspects of E. M. Forster. Ed. Krzysztof Fordoński. Warsaw: Instytut Kulturologii i Lingwistyki Antropocentrycznej, Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego and International E. M. Forster Society, 2010. 137-60. Print. [Review: Stape, J. H. "Forster & Poland: Krzysztof Fordoński, ed. New Aspects of E. M. Forster." English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 (ELT) 56.4: 522-25 (@ Project Muse).]
- "Diverging Strategies of Remembrance in Traditional and Web 2.0 Online Projects." New Media and the Politics of Online Communities. Ed. Aris Mousoutzanis and Daniel Riha. Freeland: Inter-Disciplinary P, 2010. 219-25. PDF file. Critical Issues 133.
- "Palimpsest and Hypertext: Convergence and Divergence of Traditional and Contemporary Concepts." Interactivity of Digital Texts. Ed. Myriam Diocaretz, Christian Krug and Joachim Frenk. Amsterdam: Rodopi 2012. Print. (forthcoming)
- "Erinnerung im Web 2.0: Das Internet als (persönliches) Gedächtnis." Vorträge aus dem Studium Universale 2004-2007. Ed. Elmar Schenkel and Nadja Kroker. Leipzig: Universität Leipzig 2009. 131-49. Print. Leipziger Universitätsreden ns 106
- "E. M. Forster's Autobiographies: Modes of Telling a Life in Fiction." Fiction and Autobiography: Modes and Models of Interaction. Ed. Sabine Coelsch-Foisner and Wolfgang Görtschacher. Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 2006. 119-31. Print. SEL&C: Salzburg Studies in English Literature and Culture 3.
Since it has been around for years now, I have to mention my own project Aspects of E. M. Forster again.
Feuilleton / Journalistic
Literary / Other
- Fuller, Chris, Friedemann Holder, Neil McGowan, Bastian Strauch and Heiko Zimmermann. Die Reisen und Leiden des jungen T.: Ein sentimentales Märchen. Leeds: Deutsche Schreibwerkstatt Leeds, 2001. Print.
- "Recog-Nice" (logical computer game) (CP Verlag [published only as crack]) 1995.
- "Physik - Formeln und Mehr" (utility for C64) Magic Disk 6/1995.
- "Astronomie" (planetarium simulator for C64). Magic Disk 5/1994.
This, again, is an incomplete list.
Talks and Presentations
- "E. M. Forster: Nature, Culture, Queer!” (Talk). E. M. Forster: Nature, Culture, Queer!, U of Education Ludwigsburg, U of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, U of Warsaw, International E. M. Forster Society. Ludwigsburg, 13-14 Apr. 2018.
- "Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Digital Pedagogy – How Do Students Benefit from Creative Encounters with Electronic Literature?” (Talk). Empowering Contemporary Fiction, IRTG Diversity (U of Trier, U of Montréal, Saarland U). Trier, 21 – 23 June 2017.
- "Digitale Literatur und neue Formen von Autorschaft: Warum es so wenig digitale Literatur in Deutschland gibt” (Talk). University Trier, Germany, 5 Dec. 2016.
- "Prompter, Inspirer or Prophet? E. M. Forster and the World Wide Web" (Talk). The World of E. M. Forster— E. M. Forster and the World, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, University of Warsaw, University of Trier, International E. M. Forster Society. Olsztyn, 29 – 30 Sep. 2016.
- "Hypertext und Blogfiction: Digitale Literatur in Deutschland” (Talk). University Duisburg-Essen, Germany, 28 June 2016.
- "From eLit to pLit: Benefits and Limitations of a Model for the Visualization and Analysis of Collaborative Writing in Electronic and Printed Literature" (Talk). ELO 2016: New Horizons, University of Victoria, BC, Canada, 10 – 12 June 2016 [Prezi].
- "Kollaboratives Schreiben gestern, heute und morgen: Nutzen und Grenzen eines Visualisierungs- und Analysemodels aus der digitalen Literaturforschung." (Poster) Conference Modellierung - Vernetzung –Visualisierung: Die Digital Humanities als fächerübergreifendes Forschungsparadigma. DHd and U of Leipzig, 7-12 Mar. 2016.
- "Electronic Literature as a Means to Overcome the Supremacy of the Author Function." (Talk) Conference ELO 2015: The End(s) of Electronic Literature, Bergen Electronic Literature Research Group, University of Bergen, Electronic Literature Organization. Bergen, Norway, 6 Aug. 2015.
- "Electronic Literature and Authorship." (Talk) Presentation for MA Students of Computer Linguistics and Digital Humanities , University of Trier. Trier, 23rd Oct. 2014.
- "Hushed Up, Ignored, and Denied: The Perils of Late Textonic Authorship in Digital Literature." (Talk) Colloquium Digital Humanities: Topics, Strategies and Technologies, German and Computer Linguistics/Digital Humanities, University of Trier. Trier, 9th Jan. 2014.
- "Reconfigurations of Reader and Authorship in Digital Literature." (Talk) TCD School of English Staff & Postgraduate Seminar Series, Trinity College Dublin. Dublin, 13th Oct. 2013.
- "Reconfigurations of Author- and Readership in the Textual Action Space of Digital Literature: Proposal of a Pragmatic Model." (Talk) Conference Reconfiguring Authorship, RAP@UGent, University of Gent. Gent, 17th Nov. 2012.
- "Performance and Social Interaction: New Challenges for the Archiving of Digital Writing." (Talk) Conference First International Conference on Electronic Literature and Virtual Art (ELVA): A Humanist Inquiry Into the Digital Age, Instituto Franklin, University of Alcalá. Alcalá de Henares, 4th Oct. 2012.
- Bemerkenswert! Die junge Lesereihe in der TUFA. (Live Reviews) Literary Talk Show. 2010-2011.
- "Teaching E. M. Forster in 2010." (Talk) Conference Polish Aspects of E. M. Forster, Instytut Kulturologii i Lingwistyki Antropocentrycznej, University of Warsaw. Warsaw, 7th June 2010.
- "Diverging Strategies of Remembrance in Traditional and Web-2.0 On-Line Projects." (Talk) Conference on Cybercultures: Exploring Critical Issues, ID.Net. Salzburg, 12th-14th Mar. 2010.
- "Erinnerung im Web 2.0: Das Internet als (persönliches) Gedächtnis." (Lecture) Studium Universale: Räume der Erinnerung, Universität Leipzig. Leipzig, 2006.
- "Palimpsest and Hypertext: Convergence and Divergence of Traditional and Contemporary Concepts." (Talk) Conference on Interactivity of Digital Texts, WWU Münster. Münster, 2005.
- "E. M. Forster's Autobiographies: Modes of Telling a Life in Fiction." (Talk) Conference on Fiction and Autobiography: Modes and Models of Interaction, Universität Salzburg. Salzburg, 2004.
Interviews / In the Media
Guest Lecturership
- Stay as a guest lecturer at Trinity College Dublin / Ireland, 6 Oct. - 20 Oct. 2013, funded by the ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility programme.
- Stay as a guest lecturer at the University of Sivas / Central Anatolia / Turkey, 31 May - 7 June 2008, funded by the ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility programme.
Planning and Organising Events
- Guest Lecture "Empowering Characters: Women of Ice and Fire" by Britta Colligs. U of Education Ludwigsburg. Ludwigsburg, 30 Oct. 2018.
- Conference E. M. Forster: Nature, Culture, Queer! (Head Organizer). U of Education Ludwigsburg, U of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, U of Warsaw, International E. M. Forster Society. Ludwigsburg, 13-14 Apr. 2018.
- Conference The World of E. M. Forster - E. M. Forster and the World (Co-Organizer). U of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, U of Warsaw, U of Trier, International E. M. Forster Society. Olsztyn, 29-30 Sep. 2016.
- ASAP Symposium: Configuring the Present across Arts and Media (U of Trier, 2010; support, head of technical support, development of corporate identity/design)
- Bemerkenswert! Die junge Lesereihe in der TUFA. (selbstredend e. V./TUFA Trier, 2010-2011; co-development concept | host: Dorian Steinhoff | guests: Finn-Ole Heinrich, Ken Yamamoto, Jörg Albrecht, Lydia Daher, Andreas Stichmann, Leif Randt, Nora Gomringer, Katharina Hartwell)
- PowerPoint Karaoke. (SCHMIT-Z e. V., Trier, 2010-11; organisation and MC)
- Americanisms: Discourses of Exception, Exclusion, Exchange (U of Bayreuth, 2008; head of support, media design, editing conference proceedings)
- Magical Objects: Literature, Technology and Religion in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (U of Leipzig, 2004; support, layout and editing conference proceedings)
- The Reception of H. G. Wells in Europe (U of Leipzig, 2002; support, research).
- Die Reisen und Leiden des jungen T.: Ein sentimentales Märchen (Deutsche Schreibwerkstatt Leeds, 2001; concept, co-directing, text adaptation, photography and layout).
Memberships
This is an (incomplete) list of websites I run/have designed or worked with:
I have also done some editing and layouting for print publications.
- Master of Arts: English Literatures and Media (ELM) and English Literatur (EL). Trier: U of Trier, 2013. Print. (Posters)
- ASAP Symposium: Configuring the Present across Arts and Media. Trier: U of Trier, 2010. Print. (Posters: Bal and Meier, Leaflet)
- Master of Arts Intercultural Anglophone Studies (MAIAS): Advanced Cultural Competence in Text, Linguistics, and Media with a Global Horizon. Bayreuth: U of Bayreuth, 2009. Print. (Leaflet)
- Anglistik/Amerikanistik: Textuelle, sprachliche und mediale Kulturkompetenzen mit globalem Horizont: Das Bayreuther Modell. Bayreuth: U of Bayreuth, 2008. Print. (Leaflet)
- Americanisms: Discourses of Exception, Exclusion, Exchange. Bayreuth: U of Bayreuth, 2008. Print. (Poster and Leaflet)
- van Schlun, Betsy. Science and the Imagination. Berlin: Galda, 2007. Print. Leipzig Explorations in Literature and Culture 13. (editors' assistant, layout)
- Schenkel, Elmar and Stefan Welz, ed. Magical Objects. Berlin: Galda, 2007. Print. LELC 12. (editors' assistant, layout and duster photograph)
- Magical Objects. Leipzig: U of Leipzig, 2004. (Poster)
- Böhnke, Dietmar. Shades of Gray. Berlin: Galda, 2004. Print. LELC 11. (layout)
- Braun, Anne-Kathrin. Dramatic Laboratories. Berlin: Galda, 2004. Print. LELC 9. (editors' assistant, layout)
- Schenkel, Elmar and Stefan Welz, ed. The Golden Egg. Berlin: Galda, 2002. Print. LELC 4. (editors' assistant, index)
- Die Reisen und Leiden des jungen T. - Programme for Deutsche Schreibwerkstatt Leeds / German Department, University of Leeds (text, photos, layout)
Some miscellaneous bits:
This is a list of my lectures and seminars with links to even more details about them:
Summer Term 2021
- SS 2021 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Short Stories of Modernism
- SS 2021 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Gender Trouble (MA course)
- SS 2021 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Comic Culture (BA Language Skills)
- SS 2021 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- SS 2021 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
British Theatre from the 1950s to the 1990s
- SS 2021 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Heroes: From Beowulf to Wonder Woman (MA course)
Winter Term 2020/21
- WS 2020/21 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
British and Irish Poetry after the Second World War
- WS 2020/21 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Contemporary British Popular Media Texts – Presentation and Discussion
- WS 2020/21 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- WS 2020/21 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Inventing the Victorians (Lektürekurs) (MA course)
- WS 2020/21 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
The English Novel from the 17th to the 19th Century: From Aphra Behn to George Eliot (MA course)
Summer Term 2020
- SS 2020 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Short Stories of Modernism
- SS 2020 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Becoming a Woman: Coming of Age Stories around the World (MA course)
- SS 2020 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- SS 2020 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Constructions of Gender in Contemporary British Media Texts
- SS 2020 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Theories of Authorship (MA course)
Winter Term 2019/20
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Electronic Literature (Theory and Practice)
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
17th Century English Verse: The Metaphysical Poets and Their Contemporaries
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Focus on Africa: Coming-of-Age Stories from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and South Africa (MA course)
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Postnationalist Ireland
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
The North
- WS 2019/20 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
The Harlem Renaissance (MA course)
SS 2019
- SS 2019 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Electronic Literature (Theory and Practice)
- SS 2019 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
British and Irish Poetry after the Second World War
- SS 2019 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- SS 2019 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Queer Brits in 20th Century Berlin: Urban Exile and Political Upheaval (MA course)
- SS 2019 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Short Stories of Modernism
- SS 2019 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
The English Novel from the 17th to the 19th Century: From Aphra Behn to George Eliot (MA course)
WS 2018/19
- WS 2018/19 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
British and Irish Poetry after the Second World War
- WS 2018/19 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
British and Irish Songs You Should Know
- WS 2018/19 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Queer Ecologies (MA course)
- WS 2018/19 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Short Stories of Modernism
- WS 2018/19 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Thatcherism
- WS 2018/19 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
SS 2018
- SS 2018 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- SS 2018 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Cultural Studies II+: The North
- SS 2018 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies II+: The English Novel from the 17th to the 19th C.
WS 2017/18
- WS 2017/18 / University of Trier:
LIT501 Nature & Culture in E. M. Forster
- WS 2017/18 / University of Trier:
LIT701/ELM502 Critical Theory and Queer Writings
- WS 2017/18 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- WS 2017/18 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies III: E. M. Forster
- WS 2017/18 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Cultural Studies III - American Cyberculture:
History, Theory, Literature and Media
- WS 2017/18 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Language Skills III
SS 2017
- SS 2017 / University of Trier:
Lecture LIT402/ELM302 LIT 402V Approaches to Contemporary British Literature and Media
- SS 2017 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Cultural Studies I / Introduction to the Culture and Civilization of the English-Speaking World
- SS 2017 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies I / Introduction to Literature
- SS 2017 / University of Education Ludwigsburg:
Literary Studies II: Short Stories of Modernism
WS 2016/17
- WS 2016/2017 / University of Trier:
LIT 701 / ELM 602 The North
SS 2016
- SS 2016 / University of Trier:
Lecture LIT402/ELM302 LIT 402V Approaches to Contemporary British Literature and Media
- SS 2016 / University of Trier:
LIT 401 Cyberculture in Contemporary American Cinema and Literature
WS 2015/16
- wS 2015/2016 / University of Trier:
LIT 301 17th Century English Verse: The Metaphysical Poets and Their Contemporaries
SS 2015
- SS 2015 / University of Trier:
Lecture 402 Aspects of Late Victorian and Modernist British Literature
- SS 2015 / University of Trier:
801 The Harlem Renaissance (O'Neill, Larsen, Hurston, Baldwin = 28,40 EUR incl. p&p)
WS 2014/2015
- WS 2014/2015 / University of Trier:
301 The English Novel from the 17th to the 19th Century: From Aphra Behn to George Eliot
(recommended editions (at Amazon.de): Behn, Richardson, Brown, Eliot, Swift, Braddon, Austen)
- SS 2014/2015 / University of Trier:
701 Spoken Word, Digital Literature and Creative Writing: Fresh Voices from Britain and Ireland
SS 2014
- SS 2014 / University of Trier:
Lecture 402 Aspects of Late Victorian and Modernist British Literature
- SS 2014 / University of Trier:
801 Queer Ecologies
WS 2013/2014
- WS 2013/2014 / University of Trier:
Lecture 101 Introduction to Literary Studies 1
- WS 2013/2014 / University of Trier:
301 Constructions of Gender in Contemporary British Media Texts
- WS 2013/2014 / Trinity College Dublin:
Lecture Forms of Digital Literature: From Combinatoric/Kinetic Poetry to Blog Fiction (guest lecture in the core module "Theory and Practice of Digital Humanities" of the MPhil in Digital Humanities and Culture)
- WS 2013/2014 / Trinity College Dublin:
Lecture Reconfigurations of Author and Readership in Digital Literature (guest lecture in the core module "Theory and Practice of Digital Humanities" of the MPhil in Digital Humanities and Culture)
- WS 2013/2014 / Trinity College Dublin:
Barthes' Death of the Author and Foucault's Author Function: Theory and Aesthetic Implications (four-hour workshop at the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute)
- WS 2013/2014 / Trinity College Dublin:
Collaborative Digital Writing: A Million Penguins and the War of the Collaborators - A Reconstruction and Discussion of Focal, Para and Social Texts (four-hour workshop at the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute)
SS 2013
- SS 2013 / University of Trier:
Lecture 402 Approaches to Contemporary British Literature and Media
- SS 2013 / University of Trier:
801 E. M. Forster
WS 2012/2013
- WS 2012/2013 / University of Trier:
Lecture 101 Introduction to Literary Studies 1
(recommended editions (at Amazon.de): Klarer, Seeber, Abbott,
Pfister,
Shakespeare)
- WS 2012/2013 / University of Trier:
301 British and Irish Poetry after the Second World War
- WS 2012/2013 / University of Trier:
701 Theories of Authorship
(recommended editions (at Amazon.de): Burke, Jannidis)
SS 2012
- SS 2012 / University of Trier:
Lecture Approaches to Contemporary British Literature and Media
- SS 2012 / University of Trier:
Cybertexts: American Cyberculture and Literary Theory (my editions)
WS 2011/2012
- WS 2011/2012 / University of Trier:
Lecture Introduction to Literary Studies 1
(recommended editions (at Amazon.de): Klarer, Seeber, Abbott,
Pfister)
- WS 2011/2012 / University of Trier:
Victorian Literature: From the Sensation Novel to the Contemporary Pastiche
(recommended editions (32,19 € at Amazon.de): Braddon, Byatt, Eliot, Sweet, Wilde)
SS 2011
- SS 2011 / University of Trier:
Cybertexts: American Cyberculture and Literary Theory (my editions)
WS 2010/2011
- WS 2010/2011 / University of Trier:
Queer Brits in 20th Century Berlin: Urban Exile and Political Upheaval
- WS 2010/2011 / University of Trier:
British and Irish Poetry after the Second World War
SS 2010
- SS 2010 / University of Trier:
Victorian Fiction: From the Sensation Novel to the Scientific Romance (my editions: Kipling; Braddon; Sweet)
- SS 2010 / University of Trier / German Studies:
Roland Barthes, "Der Tod des Autors" (guest lectured seminar session)
WS 2009/2010
- WS 2009/2010 / University of Trier:
Constructions of Gender in Contemporary British Film
- WS 2009/2010 / University of Trier:
Short Stories of Modernism
SS 2009
- SS 2009 / University of Trier:
PS Cybertexts: A Practical Course on the Theory of Literature on the Computer
- SS 2009 / University of Trier:
PS Victorian Literature and Culture
Enrolment for Presentations
WS 2008 / 2009
SS 2008
WS 2007 / 2008
SS 2007
1999 - 2008
- 2001/2002 / University of Leeds: Oral Skills
- 1999 - 2012: freelance teacher
WS 2008/2009: PS Cybertexts: A Practical Course on the Theory of Literature on the Computer - Course Material
BA (1.5), MAIAS elective, cultural studies, Magister
Time: Mondays, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. (c. t.); Room: S 93 New Room: S 6; Building: GWIGWII
Seminar Description: Espen Aarseth understands cybertexts as texts that involve calculation in the production of their scriptons. However, some people believe that cybertexts are texts on the internet. Other people think that some instance of artificial intelligence has to be involved in their production. In this seminar, we will try to find usable definitions for all kinds of electronic texts, on-line and off-line. Using some of these texts, we will discuss basic theoretical questions about textuality, mediality, the modes and codes of literature. These questions, although posed by cyber literature, are highly important for the analysis of any kind of literature. Although this seminar emphasises much on theory, every student will present one real and practical cybertext in the seminar. Moreover, there will be a number of practical exercises as discussions with cyber people or the creation of your own writing space. Theoretical texts (Aarseth, Ryan, Landow, Bolter, and others) will either be available in a reader or in the Semesterapparat.
Further info will be posted on the seminar blog. (Starting 13th October 6 p.m.)
Supervised Theses (Selection):
- Gender in 21st Century Dystopian Texts, BEd 2019.
- Darstellung von Sexualität und Geschlecht in aktuellen Staffeln der BBC-Serie Doctor Who, BEd 2019.
- The Development of the Representation of Violence in Graphic Novels, BA 2018.
- Robotic Dystopias in Popular Media: "And It Absolutely Will not Stop, ever, until You Are Dead", BA 2018.
- The Literary Genre of Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe: Can Robinson Crusoe Be Categorized as a Spiritual Autobiography?, BA 2017.
- Gone with the Wind: Romanticizing the "Old South" or a Classical Historical Novel?, BA 2017.
- Satire in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, BA 2017.
- Film Reviews and Book Adaptations: The Sociological Perception of Adaptations, BA 2017.
- How to Replace Reality: A Comparative Analysis of Immersion in Narrative Literature and Video Games, BEd 2016.
- From Childhood to Womanhood: From The Bluest Eye to Sula or Being a Black Girl and Becoming a Woman in a Racist Society, BA 2016.
- Gender and Identity in Tabletop Fantasy Role-Playing Games, BA 2015.
- The Walking Dead: Development of Literary Motifs and Social Criticism, BEd 2015.
- Modern Copyright Laws in Digital Art: Help or Hindrance – An Analysis, BA 2015.
- Robin Hood and Edward “Ned” Kelly: Changes of National Heroes over Time, BA 2015.
- Digital Versus Traditional Literature: The End of Books?, BA 2014.
- The Representation of Female Characters in Japanese and American Video Games: Is the Social Perception of Women in Real Life Actually Reflected in the Virtual World?, BA 2014.
- Screen Scholars and Sceptics: Science Fiction Films, Philosophy, and Immersion, BA 2013.
- Late Victorian Prose and Narrative, BA 2013.
- Machines in H. G. Wells, BA 2013.
- Dementia in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, 2012.
- Science Fiction, Philosophy and Immersion, 2012.
- Dystopia and Reality: Nineteen Eighty-Four and Orwellian Elements in US Politics and Society, 2012.
- Victorian Dualisms: The Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, BA 2012.
- Strategies of Repression in the Dystopian Novels Brave New World and The Hand Maid’s Tale, BA 2012.
- E. M. Forster’s The Longest Journey: An Autobiographical Writing, BA 2012.
- Representations of the Fourth Dimension in Victorian Literature, BA 2011.
- Harry Potter: Development in Books and Films, BA 2011.
This list is supposed to give you an idea of the scope of possible topics. However, it is not limited to it. I invite students to approach me with concrete suggestions in the fields of Modernism, late Victorian literature, contemporary British and Irish literature, anglophone literatures of Commonwealth nations, gender studies, queer studies, E. M. Forster, critical theory, creative writing, electronic literature, and the philosophy of literature. Places are limited, however.