Subtly overwhelmed by the realization of my graduation, I, like my graduating class fellows, have embarked upon the journey of exploring the world of “what if.” Amidst the swirl of mixed emotions signalling the end of another fruitful academic year at Bard College Berlin, I found myself caught within an entanglement which marks a fixed and certain
TagAurelia Cojocaru
Berlinale 2014: a couple of surprising “literary” films
This year I went to two Berlinale films, both in the Forum (young experimental) section, both with a literary twist. One is the experimental pseudo-documentary Le Beau Danger by René Frölke which (quite literally) follows Romanian-Jewish writer Norman Manea in his public and private life. The other is a tragicomedy about and featuring French writer
A conference on “Paths to Publishing”. Notes from in the middle of the journey
Have you heard about the latest statistics regarding the number of published writers in Iceland? According to them, every year one in ten Icelanders “gives birth” to a book. Imagine an editorial paradise. One wakes up and thinks “maybe I should write another novel”. A few intense nights and the manuscript can be ready. Oh,
Dj Spinoza spins at Bard College Berlin. Eugene Ostashevsky poetry reading
All my dreams of inventing a time machine and going back to witness the (in)famous Avant-Garde had long ago faded, when the Russian-American poet Eugene Ostashevsky came to Bard College Berlin. He came and opened his reading with a poem of the Russian “absurdist” Daniil Kharms (1905-1942), whom he has translated. “The four-legged crow”, which
Berlin Through the Eyes of… Matthias Hurst
Our series of Berlin-revelatory interviews with ECLA of Bard faculty and staff continues. This time our guide through Berlin is Prof. Matthias Hurst, who has been a member of the faculty at ECLA of Bard since 2003, teaching various courses in film, but also literature and philosophy. We took the chance to find out more
Fall cold/flu on campus. “Imaginarily Healthy”
“The decoration represents a rural setting, but nonetheless truly agreeable.” (Molière, Prologue to “Le Malade Imaginaire”) Only mid?September, and it was already here: in classrooms, dorms, the dining hall and the library, I heard the frequency of blessings-to-excuse-me grow. Supermarkets nearby increased their lemon, ginger, garlic and “Erkältungstee” (“Cold” Tea) supplies, and rumors had it
Photo Essay: What’s On Your Shelf?
As intelligent and emotional (well, for the most part) beings, we humans tend to hold on to things. We collect objects that remind us of places, people and experiences – or in some cases, even ourselves. In college, however, the physical load of things we keep is significantly reduced. What is it then that college
“Tipping is not a city in China”.The rise and fall of Sankt Oberholz, Eclerians’ Mecca
As you enter Sankt Oberholz, the most conspicuous café at Rosenthaler Platz, you notice, on all the walls, neatly printed menus. This is a commercial realm, you think. If you turn your head to the right, you see, under the huge menus, never-ending bar tables and, throning on the bar stools, a population of Mac