Emily Goodling is a Lecturer in German, and teaches German language at all levels as well as seminars on cultural, literary, and political topics. In addition to her work at MIT, she has taught at Stanford University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Hillsdale College. She is particularly excited about the creation and execution of study abroad programs, and teaches advanced politics and culture in Hillsdale College’s summer program in Germany. She is also interested in bringing together technology and literature in creative ways, and has designed and taught an asynchronous literature seminar at Georgia Tech. Other upper-level courses include seminars on the history of German opera, Thomas Mann’s novels, contemporary theater, and the relationship between literature and politics in 20th-century Germany.

Beyond the German-language classroom, Goodling’s research centers on changing conceptions of the political in German theater. Supported most recently by a Berlin Fellowship and Mellon Fellowship, her current work explores the ways in which the concept of authenticity has been valorized in sectors of German theater that focus on questions of identity and migration. This project centers primarily on a group of so-called “postmigrant” theaters and performance spaces in contemporary Berlin, and explores the potentialities and pitfalls in their desire to provide a platform for underrepresented voices on stage. Goodling’s work has appeared in The Drama Review and Comparative Drama.

Education:
PhD Stanford University
MA Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
BA Hillsdale College