Author Description

This volume's Forum section focuses on new directions in eighteenth-century German studies, alongside articles on a diverse range of topics concerning Goethe and the literature and arts of his age. The Goethe Yearbook is a publication of the Goethe Society of North America, showcasing North American and international scholarship on Goethe and other authors and aspects of the Goethezeit. Volume 28 features articles on several of Goethe's signature works (Xenien, Wahlverwandtschaften, Faust), unified by their innovative approaches. It also includes a Forum section seeking to prompt discussion of new directions in eighteenth-century German studies. An essay documenting Goethe's engagement with China and another on Goethe's legacy in post-WWII Argentina emphasize these new directions. Other essays highlight Goethe's inter-arts approaches (music,theater, collecting); interdisciplinary intersections of eighteenth-century literary studies with gender and social history; media theory; and renewed emphasis on materialism. The latter is the focus of a recently convened collaboration on early nineteenth-century inventories presented in this volume. The customary book review section rounds out the volume.