Preface

PREFACE The second volume of the Women in German Yearbook follows in the spirit of its predecessor by virtue of the fact that a wide variety of issues and topics central to a discussion of feminism and Germanistik are addressed. We have included essays on women writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which examine not only how male contemporaries influenced women writers, but also how contemporary women writers portray men in their works and how they are coming to terms productively with the concept of power. The continued interest in and importance of women film directors is reflected in a piece on Margarethe von Trotta. What distinguishes this volume from the first is the inclusion of a new story by Barbara Frischmuth and her essay on Hildegard von Bingen, which she, as the guest author, presented at the 1983 Women in German Conference. The enthusiasm and interest aroused by dialogues with one of Austria's most prominent writers take the form of an interview with Barbara Frischmuth and an essay dealing with her works. The additions which revolve around the guest author, in particular the contribution of a new creative work, have set an exciting precedent which we hope to continue in future volumes. Marianne Burkhard University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Edith Waldstein Massachussetts Institute of Technology vil ...