May 22-24 – Conference: Metamorphoses in Contemporary Literature 🗓

May 22-24 – Conference: Metamorphoses in Contemporary Literature 🗓

Conference

Metamorphoses in Contemporary Literature 

May 22-24, 2025

Fakultätssaal, Philosophicum I (Jakob-Welder-Weg 18)

Organized by Berenike Jakob, Carolin Jesussek, and Franziska Rauh 
 
We are delighted to invite you to the conference “Metamorphoses in Contemporary Literature” from May 22-24 at Mainz University. 
 
The conference focuses on the motif of metamorphosis in contemporary literature, with a particular focus on posthumanism, ecocriticism, and (queer) feminism. In addition to paper sessions, the program features a reading and craft talk by Anelise Chen, author and Assistant Professor of Fiction at the Columbia University School of the Arts. On Friday, May 23rd at 6:30 p.m., she will read from her forthcoming hybrid memoir, Clam Down.

Those interested are welcome to attend the conference and the reading. The full program can be found on the conference website.

 
The conference is a collaborative project between the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies and English Literature and Culture at the Department of English and Linguistics, as well as General and Comparative Literature at the Gutenberg Institute for World Literature and Written Media. It is organized by doctoral candidates from the three participating departments: Franziska Rauh (General and Comparative Literature), Berenike Jakob (English Literature and Culture), and Carolin Jesussek (American Studies).
 
You can contact the organizers at metamorphoses@uni-mainz.de.

You can download the poster for the event here.

 
May 5 – Guest Lecture “From German Scientific Forestry to Healthcare: Seeing the Narrative Forest for the Trees” đź—“

May 5 – Guest Lecture “From German Scientific Forestry to Healthcare: Seeing the Narrative Forest for the Trees” đź—“

Danielle Spencer
(Columbia University, New York)

From German Scientific Forestry to Healthcare: Seeing the Narrative Forest for the Trees

May 5, 2025, 12:00-14:00, 00.212, Philosophicum II (Jakob-Welder-Weg 20)

 

Danielle Spencer is the author of Metagnosis: Revelatory Narratives of Health and Identity (Oxford University Press, 2021) and co-author of Perkins-Prize-winning The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine (OUP, 2017). A faculty member in the Columbia University Narrative Medicine Graduate Program, her scholarly and creative work appears in diverse outlets, from The Lancet to Ploughshares, and she is the Editor of the Anthem Press Advances in Human Medicines book series. Formerly artist/musician David Byrne’s Art Director, Spencer holds a B.A. from Yale University, an M.S. in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and has been awarded fellowships at MacDowell and Yaddo. Lives in New York city. 

You can download the poster for the event here.

 
Obama Institute Joins the American Studies Network đź—“

Obama Institute Joins the American Studies Network đź—“

The Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies proudly joins the American Studies Network as member institution. We are looking forward to participating in the network’s activities and encourage our students and faculty to keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities. Prof. Dr. Axel Schäfer was named as the Obama Institute’s representative to the ASN and will keep us connected to the other members.

Find out more about the network and its other members on their website americanstudiesnetwork.com.

Mar 14 – Exhibition “Young Adult Fiction” đź—“

Mar 14 – Exhibition “Young Adult Fiction” đź—“

Mar 14, 2025 – 10:00-14:00
Philosophicum II – room 02.102

Exhibition

“Young Adult Fiction”

Developed from student projects during the American Studies Graduate Seminar 522 “Young Adult Fiction,” this exhibition shows how creative, diplomatic, and inspiring young adult literature and movies can be in addressing topics that are difficult to grasp or cope with, even for adults.

Everyone welcome!

10:00
Opening | Introduction

Prof. Dr. Mita Banerjee (Course Instructor)

followed by
Poster Presentations | Food & Drinks

The posters and presentations in this exhibition are the results of students’ projects from the American Studies Graduate Seminar 522 “Young Adult Fiction,” which was taught by Prof. Dr. Mita Banerjee (mita.banerjee@uni-mainz.de) in the winter term of 2024/25.

You can download the poster for the exhibition here.