Am 'I' the One? Self-Narratives Between Autotheory, Crying Selfies, and Confessionals
Alicia Agustín & Tereza Yakovyna & Franca Zajac & Paula Regine Erb
Art in Context & Dramatic Writing

Registration via mail at francazajac_ @gmail.com.

About
What does it mean to tell a story about “myself” today? How do novels, theater, essays, and social media shape our notions of identity, authenticity, and self-presentation? And what happens when personal stories become public, and the self becomes both the subject and object of the narrative? The seminar “Am I the One?” invites participants to engage critically with autofictional forms of writing and other auto-narrative methods in contemporary culture. Among other things, we will examine social media confessionals, novels, contemporary drama, and essays. In doing so, we will explore the political and historical conditions that shape our modern understanding of the individual self and the role that authenticity, emotions, and personal narratives play in today’s attention economy. We examine how individual and collective identities are changing, how subjectivity is staged in digital capitalism, and what possibilities artistic practices open up for rethinking existing narrative forms. In doing so, we explore various historical and artistic forms of self-reference, from Victorian introspection to Samuel Beckett’s *Not I* to current social media phenomena.

Time & Dates
All seminars will be held in person. Room assignments are subject to change; any changes will be announced in a timely manner.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Kick-off
Room: Hardenbergstraße 33, R101

Thursday, November 12, 2026, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Writing Workshop (German; questions in German and English are welcome)
Room: Einsteinufer 43, R035

Friday, November 13, 2026, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Seminar (German/English)
Room: Grunewaldstraße 2–5, R110 (Auditorium)

Saturday, November 14, 2026, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Seminar (German/English)
Room: Grunewaldstraße 2–5, R110 (Auditorium)

Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Workshop with Ivana Sajko (English; questions in German and English are also welcome)
Room: Einsteinufer 43, R035

Thursday, February 4, 2027, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Seminar (German/English)
Room: Einsteinufer 43, R035

Friday, February 5, 2027, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Workshop with Olympia Bukkakis (English; questions in German and English are also welcome)
Room: Einsteinufer 43, R035

Saturday, February 6, 2027, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Seminar (German/English)
Room: to be announced

Thursday, February 11, 2027, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Presentation preparation (German/English)
Room: Einsteinufer 43, R035

Friday, February 12, 2027, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Presentation preparation (German/English)
Room: Hardenbergstraße 33, R101

Saturday, February 13, 2027, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. – Final presentations of the artistic works (German/English)
Room: Hardenbergstraße 33, R101

Classes will be held in person. Please note that room assignments are subject to change. Any changes will be announced in a timely manner.

Fulfilment criteria for ungraded accreditation
Regular active participation and independent work on the design of an original artistic project. Students will prepare their presentations on February 11 and 12 and present their work on February 13, 2027.

Credits
Credits: 4 LP + 2 LP
Scope: 3 SWS
Workload: 120 hours
Course Type: Lecture + Seminar
Module: E, SF 3,4, BF B–D