Mark Anderson

I learned a lot about the German-Turkish migration and culture. This class covers many aspects of German-Turkish culture ranging from identity crises, German-Turkish slangs, film, history, genocide, to pop-culture. Every reading / film Mark chose is so interesting that you'd feel bad (or even FOMO) skipping it. Class discussions are also insightful, everybody is allowed to voice their opinion without judgement, and Mark ACTUALLY cares to listen to all perspectives. He is a very knowledgeable guy, offers historical / autobiographical contexts every class when we are discussing a new author/reading. Absolute GOAT.

amazing, I love him. Probably the best, most intellectually fulfilling course I have taken at Columbia. Good mix of leading the class and letting students lead. Great community building too.

Anderson is an excellent professor. He knows the material well, knows how to present it well, and (though sometimes he makes it clear that he really doesn't agree) is interested in what the students have to say. The texts we read (from the Magic Flute to Sebald) are uniformly good reads. This is one of the few heavy reading (relatively heavy, often a novel a week, though sometimes just some poetry) classes I had in which I've done all the reading and wanted to do it. Don't expect too much music though. Anderson is a literature prof. He seems to be a big music fan, but it's not his area. With some of the works the connection to music is pretty much abandoned. That said, some of the connections were really insightful. If you'd like to have the opportunity to read a lot of the highlights of German Literature, have intelligent discussions about them, and get some credit, take this class.

Everything about German Lit from 1880-1950, different movements and ideals and how they permeated culture.

The history of Jews in Eastern and Western Europe, German-Jewish history and relationships, literary analysis

How to communicate and discuss (in German) short works written in German.

NA 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Spring 2022 Course: GERMGU4170_001_2022_1-KAFKA(ENG) : GERMGU4170_001_2022_1 - KAFKA (ENG) Instructor: Mark Anderson

Everything from The Magic Flute to Richard Wagner.

Mark Anderson, my GOAT Anderson is a delight to listen to; he leads discussions about half the time. The other half, he has his students take over class discussion, looking over their ideas beforehand. He is insightful but not overly assertive, bending a class session toward the points he would like to make gradually and reserving time for and interest in his students' ideas. His points are, as you would expect of a professor, good. More unexpectedly, he makes his points clear and accessible to his students. I find his class enriching and note that I have appreciated each book more for attending the classes on it. I believe his grading is decently generous, but I am not certain on this point, as I only have anecdotes and my own data to go off of.

Prof. Anderson has a gift as special as being a great lecturer - he knows how to lead interesting and intelligent discussions and how to make all the students comfortable enough to participate. While he is always well-prepared with his own ideas and questions, he's flexible and curious enough to let the discussion flow from Dracula to AIDS to Scooby-Doo and back. One novel a week, generally short and exciting gothic stories, and occasional films. Bi-weekly 3 page max papers, on any topic, which he grades fairly and which help generate thoughts for discussion before class. A genuinely enthusiastic teacher.