Nadja Samira Fraenkel (Heidelberg University) in conversation with Sinan Barış Yaşar (HGGS)

How does the travel motif shape narratives in third-generation Jewish literature?

What are the differences between physical and metaphorical journeys?

Can language serve as a space for belonging and identity?

In this conversation, Nadja Samira Fraenkel from Heidelberg University discusses her PhD research on comparative perspectives of literary travel motifs in contemporary Jewish literature from Germany, Israel, and the USA. She explores the complexities of identity, the role of travel in shaping experiences, and the search for belonging and utopia within these narratives. The discussion also highlights the significance of language, the challenges faced by third-generation Jewish authors, and the political dimensions of art and literature.

Timeline

00:00 Intro

00:28 Introducing Nadja Samira Fraenkel and Her Research

05:29 Exploring the Concept of Travel in Literature

08:51 Travel Motif and Identity Politics in Jewish Literature

13:56 The Search for Utopia in Travel Narratives

18:10 The Third Generation of Jewish Authors

27:19 Methodology in Comparative Literary Studies

31:17 Language as a Space for Belonging

37:45 The Role of Social Challanges and Counter Narratives in Jewish Literature

51:53 Art, Identity, and the Political Nature of Creativity

59:11 Outro

Keywords

Jewish literature, travel motives, identity politics, comparative literature, contemporary authors, diaspora, utopia, third generation, literary analysis, cultural studies