Faculty

Sophie Boyer obtained her Ph.D. (2001) at McGill University with a dissertation on the representations of women in the love poetry of Heinrich Heine and Charles Baudelaire. During the course of her studies, she made extensive stays in southern Germany, Cologne and Bonn. She has been teaching German language and literature at Bishop's since 1999. Her main interests are 19th century German and French literature and cultural history, literary theory, art history and film studies.

Photo caption: In front of Gerhard Richter’s Strontium (2006)
De Young Museum, San Francisco

Es gibt in der Welt
einen einzigen Weg,
auf welchem niemand gehen kann,
ausser dir :
wohin er führt?
Frage nicht, gehe ihn. »
(Nietzsche, Schopenhauer als Erzieher)

Nathalie Lachance received her PhD from the department of German Studies at McGill University in 2010. Her dissertation was titled : ‘Thou shalt not believe (me)’ : Nietzsche’s Ethics of Reading and the Movement for Emancipation. She wrote her Master’s thesis on Thomas Mann’s novel Der Zauberberg (German Studies, McGill University, 2005). Her research interests are Nietzsche, Kleist, literary theory, the Frankfurt School, decadence in literature, and Berlin (from Benjamin and Döblin to einstürzende neubauten). She has been teaching at Bishop’s since 2009, enjoying her inspiring students and colleagues, the amazingly friendly staff and lovely campus (as well as Jerry’s Pizzeria on Queen).

Vera Mainka did a Masters degree in second language education and social studies at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Frankfurt. She is currently working towards obtaining a second Masters degree in teaching German as a second language at the Université de Montréal. Her academic interests include Post Second World War German literature and the portrayal of women in novels during the Eighteenth century. She enjoys teaching and sharing German culture with her students.