Marion Faber

 

Marion Faber

Scheuer Family Professor of Humanities

Education:

BA 1965; MA 1967, University of California;

PhD 1972, Harvard University

 

Interview:

Q: When did you come to work at Swarthmore?

1979


Q: What were you doing before you came here?

I taught at UMass-Boston, Indiana University, and the University of Toronto


Q: What made you decide to study and then teach German?

At the age of 16, after I had studied Spanish for 3 years, the American Field Service sent me to Hannover, Germany as an exchange student for the summer. I had a wonderful time and eventually developed a strong interest in German literature and culture.


Q: What other languages do you know?

I know French, Italian, and some Spanish.


Q: Where has your language taken you (to live, to work, to study)?

I've lived in Vienna, Paris, and Freiburg im Breisgau. More recently, a Mellon Fellowship allowed me to prepare a new course, Cultural Identity in the European Union, by spending a semester in Rome.

Marion's book

Q: Describe a book or article you have written and what you learned from writing it.

In 2003 I completed (with a friend) a biography of the Austrian-American pianist Rudolf Serkin (1903-1991). During the course of this project I learned a great deal about European cultural life in the early 20th century, about the experience of German emigration under the Nazis, and about the contemporary world of classical music.

 

Q: What do you appreciate most about Swarthmore?

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Obviously, the students are what I appreciate most about Swarthmore. They're intellectually enthusiastic and serious, witty, energetic, and almost invariably a pleasure to teach. I also appreciate the fact that I can be a generalist here. And I love the fact that my workplace is a garden.

Q: What are our most interesting recent alumni/ae doing with German?

Some of our alums are working in international careers, not only in Germany, but also in places such as China. Many are teaching. Others are pursuing graduate degrees in German or in law, or in other more unlikely subjects, such as plant ecology.


Q: Do you feel like a different person when you are speaking German, and if so how?

I sometimes feel that I am saying what I am able to say when I speak German, rather than what I want to say. But after some time in Germany, this frustrating feeling often disappears, and then it can be quite exhilarating to notice that I've forgotten that I'm speaking German, not English.


Q: What other disciplines have you studied, and how do they contribute to your work with German?

My work as a translator has meant that I've spent quite a bit of time with Nietzsche and Mozart, and this has enriched my academic life. Interdisciplinary fields such as Film Studies, Women's Studies, and Holocaust Studies have also taken my work in productive directions.

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Q: What is your favorite activity in a language classroom?

I’ve always enjoyed singing German songs and teaching tongue-twisters, but I guess I'd have to say that conversation itself is my favorite activity in the language classroom.

Q: What can you see outside your office window?

My office window looks out on Trotter and on the lilacs in front of Pearson. On some days when I look out the window, I feel like one of those women in small towns in Germany who lean their elbows on their window sills to chat with their neighbors or watch the world go by.