Submission Deadline: February 12, 2009

The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben described Max Kommerell (1902-1944) as "the greatest German critic of the twentieth century after Benjamin, and perhaps the last great personality between the wars who still remains to be discovered." Despite Agamben's high evaluation of his writings, Kommerell remains largely undiscovered by Germanists and literary theorists. Yet the appearance of the anthology Max Kommerell: Leben, Werk, Aktualität in 2003 suggests that this critic has hardly been forgotten—nor should he be. A glimpse at his brief life reveals an intellectual engaging with some of the major writers and thinkers of his time. Initially a member of the George-Kreis, Kommerell was in contact with Heidegger, while Benjamin praised Der Dichter als Führer in der deutschen Klassik (1928) as a "masterpiece." Taking a cue from Agamben and others, this panel asks what Kommerell's writings have to teach us at a moment when many are calling for a return to reading. Possible topics include Kommerell's interpretation of tragedy and classicism; his account of literary tradition; his conception of literary criticism; and the significance of his works for the critical concerns of today. Potential contributors are invited to submit proposals of no more than 250 words to Joshua Robert Gold at joshua.gold@uconn.edu.