Writing about a series of human-object relationships, Robin Bernstein employs the term “scriptive thing” to articulate how objects become things when they orient, choreograph, or compel human action. In one such case study, she analyzes a photograph of a woman posing with a racist caricature at the Hotel Exposition in New York’s Grand Central Palace, circa 1930. Using this photo, she further clarifies the nature of this particular subject-object relationship, stating that it is “neither an isolated woman and her ‘whys’ nor an isolated caricature and its textual ‘hows,’ but instead through a complex interaction between the two figures,” that the photo constructs race.

Ecology and the Human Being in German Literature and Other Media (planned, 2026)

Book Series: Interdisciplinary Studies on German Philology

About the Series

The book series Interdisciplinary Studies on German Philology, published by Istanbul University Press, is dedicated to interdisciplinary research in German literary and cultural studies. It brings together approaches from literary studies, cultural studies, media studies, philosophy, history, and related disciplines, with the aim of rethinking German philology in dialogue with contemporary theoretical and societal debates.

Published and forthcoming volumes include:

The Collectively Reimagining Global Politics Taft Research Group and the University of Cincinnati School of Public and International Affairs Graduate Student Association are organizing our Annual Symposium titled "Radical Hope: Reimagining Justice in Insecure and Precarious Times," March 26-27, 2026, at University of Cincinnati.

The American Association of Australasian Literary Studies (AAALS) invites proposals for a Virtual Seminar Series held during the month of June 2026 over Zoom. This seminar series will take place in lieu of the 2026 AAALS conference.