Franzi Finkenstein received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Philipps-University of Marburg and her master's degree from the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg with an exchange year at University College London.
Franzi's interdisciplinary research interests encompass narrative theory, performance studies, migration studies, disability studies, feminist and queer theory. Franzi’s current research looks at the relationship between autobiographical performance, aesthetics, trauma, and grief work as well as the conditions of work in 20th century life narratives (writings and visual texts). Franzi teaches in German, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Activities
2022/24: Convener, alongside Ivan Bujan, of the "Cruising Utopia in 2020s" reading group, sponsored by the Center for the Humanities
2023: Participant in the workshop "To be (dis)continued. New Perspectives on the Entanglements of Gender, Sexualities, and Jewishness" (Berlin)
2022: The Berlin Seminar Travel Fellowship from Max Kade Foundation
2023: The Podcasting Institute Fellowship sponsored by National Humanities Center
2023: Fritz Halbers Research Award by Leo Baeck Institute New York
2023: Global Futures Small Grant from Global Futures Grant Washington University in St. Louis
2023/24: TESOL Fellowship from English Language Program at Washington University in St. Louis
2021-2024: Reading Group Grants from Center for the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis
2023: Graduate Student Conference, New York University, “Repetition of Pain: Loss, Grief, and Annihilation in Charlotte Salomon’s ‘Life? or Theater’?”
2023: ‘Thinking With Lauren Berlant in German Studies’ Workshop
Others
Editor: WEAK zine https://weakzine.com/ (2021-present)
Guest at necton talks, refuge radio, Berlin (theme: "Empowerment")
Freelance writer for music magazines
Publications
Book Review of Gabriela Stoicea's “Fictions of Legibility. The Human Face and Body in Modern German Novels from Sophie von La Roche to Alfred Döblin” for Vol. 28 of "focus on German Studies", University of Cincinnati Press (2021)
Book Review of Marija Krsteva’s “Towards a Theory of Life-Writing. Genre Blending” for H-Biography (H-Net) (2023)