Judith Rauscher
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judithrauscher.bsky.social
Judith Rauscher
@judithrauscher.bsky.social
1.7K followers 980 following 380 posts
Asst. Prof. /JProf. for American Literature & Culture @ U of Cologne; Poetry, Ecoriticism, Mobility Studies, Speculative Fiction, Gender Studies 🤓👩‍🏫🌄🎶📚🏳️‍🌈
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judithrauscher.bsky.social
Yesterday,I attended the opening ceremony of the 5-year celebration of @euniwell.bsky.social, a 12-partner university alliance focused on human and ecological #Well-Being. We heard a wonderful talk by #Happiness researcher Lara Aknin & an amazing performance by the all-female vocal ensemble Aember 🤓
Photo collage of four women opening the ceremony, my name badge, a woman giving a talk and 8 women singing in formation.
October 23, 2025 at 7:54 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Just finished /Nomansland/ (2010) by #LesleyHauge, which offers a take on the kind of #SingleSexNarrative I am interested in that is reminiscent of #feminist #criticalutopias from the 1980s, such as #PamelaSargent 's /The Shore of Women/ (1986) & #SheriTepper 's /The Gate to Women's Country/ (1988)
Photo of the cover of the novel Nomansland by Lesley Hauge, which features a woman in worn clothes on a black horse shooting an arrow. A small blurb reads: "On an island of women alone, who.is the real enemy?"
July 30, 2025 at 3:10 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Still on vacation in the #Sauerland, which I will from now on refer to as the German Shire! #Hiking
Photo of a rural landscape with meadows, fields, woods, and hills in the distance. There are clouds in the blue sky
July 23, 2025 at 9:35 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
On vacation in a region called the Sauerland, which I will from now on refer to as the German Midwest. #Thunderstorm
Photo of a yellow field with a dozen tall white wind generators. The clouds in the sky are dramatic and dark
July 22, 2025 at 11:34 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Yesterday at the queer dance school
🧡💛💚💙💜

(A massive heatwave has hit Cologne 🥵)
Photo of four fans in rainbow colors held by people wearing dance shoes. The wooden floor has the markings of a school gym.
June 30, 2025 at 6:13 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
#PrideMonth book display at my department's library. Come study #EnglishLiterature and/or North #AmericanStudies (Lit/Cult + #History) here at @unicologne.bsky.social, or pick the interdisciplinary M.A. in Gender & #QueerStudies and then come take classes with us.
Photo of a table of books with a large progress pride flag displayed above them.
June 18, 2025 at 7:33 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
For this afternoon's DGfA session, I picked a panel on "Transmedial (Un)Archiving: Poetry Transposition into New Media" with four wonderful talks featuring #poetry, visual art, film, video games & poetry by #MinaLoy, #WaltWhitman, and #SylviaPlath. #AmericanStudies #DGfA2025
Collage of four photos showing speakers in front of a large screen. Slides depict poetry manuscripts and paper titles.
June 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
I think I picked the perfect panel for this first stream: with a focus on "Waters, Oceans, Maps: Archiving thr Environment, Environment as American #Archive", both René Dietrich & Katja Sarkowsky spoke beautifully about contemporary Indigenous #poetry. #AmericanStudies #DGfA2025
Collage of two photos featuring Rene Dietrich and Katja Sarkowsky presenting in front of a room of people.
June 13, 2025 at 11:10 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
The second day of this year's annual conference of the German Association for American Studies (DGfA/GAAS) in Siegen started gloriously with an amazingly rich & entertaining talk on 19th-century epistolary culture & queer intimacy by @katrinhorn.bsky.social. #AmericanStudies #QueerStudies #DGfA2025
Collage of four photos featuring Katrin Horn speaking in front of a large room of people.
June 13, 2025 at 10:20 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Looking forward to being part of this important event on queer life in Germany, Europe, and the United States in light of the rise of the (far) right.
Post about the event "Rechtsruck und queeres Leben: Trumps Kampf und die Gefahr für uns alle". There are photos of the three panelists, Nyke Slawik, Judith Rauscher und Guillaume Carpenter.
June 11, 2025 at 4:42 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Went to visit the "Tanzlinde Effeltrich" yesterday, a 400-1000 year-old linden tree with a crown circumference of nearly 60m that used to be a place where the people gathered for court proceedings, religious occasions and dances. 🥰🌳🥰
Photo of a town square with a massive linden tree whose far-extending branches are supported by wooden beams. Photo of the massive trunk, which has been reinforced internally with what looks like a little iron gate.
June 8, 2025 at 8:54 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Take a break and a breath and have a lovely Sunday evening, everyone!
Photo of a path in a park turned red and golden by the setting sun
May 4, 2025 at 6:05 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Yesterday, at the annual reception of the President of @unicologne.bsky.social, Sara Tewelde-Negassi, who is doing her PhD in #AmericanStudies, received the Benedikt & Helene Schmittmann-Wahlen scholarship to continue her research on artificial intelligence in US speculative fiction. Congrats, Sara!
Photo of Sara Tewelde-Negassi on stage with the President of the University of Cologne who is reading from a document.
April 30, 2025 at 7:27 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Attended the opening of the exhibition on the fascist origins of modern aerospace research & space exploration co-organized by @jenstemmen.bsky.social at the Haus der Universität @hhu.de. Such important work, even more so for the way it involved students. #AmericanStudies
Photo of four people sitting on stage with the audience intently listening. Jens Temmen is speaking into a microphone.
April 25, 2025 at 8:54 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
The last few days in 4 images: first the work(shop), then the pleasure. After 2 intensive workshop days, which led to wonderful transatlantic conversations about #Sustainability & #SocialJustuce between our European & Brazilian participants, my co-organizer Jade Arbo & I went to visit some #castles
Collage of four images: 1. a photo of Jade A. & Judith R. in front of the workshop poster. 2. a photo of Nora C., Sarah L. & Judith R. at the conference dinner. 3. a photo of Jade A. in front of a medieval-style castle. 4. a photo of Jade A. & Judith R. in front of a Baroque/Rococo-style castle
April 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Starting soon @unicologne.bsky.sa: our 2-day hybrid symposium on " #Sustainability and #SocialJustice in #SpeculativeFiction" with scholars from Germany, Europe, and Brazil, co-organized with my #SFRA friend & colleague Jade Arbo (U Federal de Pelotas) & funded by @easlce.bsky.social 🇪🇺🙏🇧🇷
Poster of the workshop featuring an arid landscape and a lake in stark orange and blue hues
April 16, 2025 at 10:32 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Gave a joint presentation with my Brazilian colleague Jade Arbo on #BeckyChambers' wonderful novella 'To be Taught, if Fortunate' at this year's EAAS Women's Caucus Symposium on 'The Gendered #Anthropocene'. I was only able to join online, but loved the event & all the amazing talks! #GenderStudies
A screenshot from zoom of a person speaking at an academic conference. A presentation slide also visible on screen reads 'Re-Imagining Scientific Inquiry.
April 12, 2025 at 8:05 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
I'm only getting around to posting about this now, but earlier this week, I participated in the 'First Transatlantic Well-Being Summit' organized by @euniwell.bsky.social & Teacher College @columbiauniversity.bsky.social about the future of #TeacherEducation. I'm very excited about what is to come!
Collage of 4 photos featuring different people speaking either in front of a screen or to a group of people sitting in a circle.
April 10, 2025 at 11:11 AM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
My author's copy of new 'Handbook of #AmericanPoetry' with my essay on "Poetry as #FeministCritique" (focused on the 1970s/80s) in which I read #SharonOlds, #AudreLorde & #SusanHowe but also discuss other poets has arrived! It is very thick & pretty

#Feminism #GenderStudies #AmericanStudies #Poetry
Photo of a book with blue and purple cover propped up on the sheet music stand of a piano. There is a plant next to it in a pot in the shape of a girl's or woman's head and torso. The female figure is smiling contently, while the plant looks like wild ideas sprouting from her head.
March 25, 2025 at 1:32 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Speaking of other adventures: today, I spontaneously decided to get off my train back from the Baltic coast in Dortmund for the world premiere of #RachelPortman 's new song cycle "Another Eve" performed by @joycedidonato.bsky.social + #Ilpomod'oro and it was GLORIOUS! So very, very beautiful! 💚
Photo of mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato in a white robe on stage smiling at composer Rachel Portman, who is wearing a blue jacket and smiling back. The members of the orchestra are smiling and clapping.
March 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Sad to leave the gorgeous and quiet Baltic island of #Hiddensee. But there are other adventures to be had! So long!
Photo of a pier with a ferry in the background. The sides of the pier are covered in rusty metal. A shadow of a person can be seen where the ocean meets the rusty metal, which also reflects in redish riples on the dark blue water
March 22, 2025 at 3:03 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
It looks so unreal that it almost looks fake...
Photo of the ocean with the horizon blurred by misty clouds. A white cloud on the upper left lets rays of sunlight pass. A bird flies through the rays.
March 20, 2025 at 4:28 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Today, I give you the softest of colors and the gentlest of oceans. I hope you get to have a gentle day with some room for softness. #ocean #seascape
Photo of a nearly quiet ocean with pale fog softening the horizon and one fluffy cloud I the distance over a row of round wooden poles
March 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Went to see the sunset again. #Hiddensee
Photo of the ocean. The sky and water are colored in dark blue, purple, orange, and pink
March 19, 2025 at 7:33 PM
judithrauscher.bsky.social
Finished Katherine V. Forrest's 'Daughters of a Coral Dawn', which I would describe, as one dust jacket puts it, as a "delightful #lesbianutopia" within the general limits that come with separatist ideology. If you enjoy #feminism, #technoscience, #QueerSF & #ecologicalutopias, this may be for you.
Photo of a book cover featuring a woman with short hair and coral eyes standing in front of a coral landscapes with two coral suns in the sky.
March 19, 2025 at 11:37 AM