| Michael
Koch is a Ph.D. candidate in German Literature and Critical
Thought. His dissertation topic addresses the representations
of angels in early 20th century literature and art as
an expression of the Absolute. Consequently, his academic
attention has recently been on Rainer Maria Rilke, Paul
Klee, Georg Trakl, and Walter Benjamin. His scholarly
interests lie primarily in German Expressionism, particularly
the issue of Doppelbegabung, although Heinrich von Kleist
also holds a special place in his heart.
He earned his
B.A. in German (Literature) and International Relations
(Economic and Commercial Phases) at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison (with a junior year at the Rheinische
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn), lived and taught
in Düsseldorf for seven years, where he was certified
as a translator through the Industrie- und Handelskammer,
and then earned his M.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature
(German) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (with
a year at the Freie Universität in Berlin). He plays
drums avidly, has played on several CDs, and is active with
two original bands based in Milwaukee. He and his wife Claudia
welcomed the addition of their son Felix into their lives
in November 2003 – and he’s keeping them busy.
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