Dr. Patrick Ploschnitzki
- Assistant Teaching Professor
- contemporary German literature and culture | dubbing | literary translation | translation studies
Contact Info
Biography —
Patrick Ploschnitzki holds a dual-degree PhD in Transcultural German Studies from the Universities of Arizona and Leipzig, and a Master’s degree in German Studies with a minor in Translation Studies from the University of Arizona. Previous employers include the University of Rhode Island’s German Section and Middlebury College’s German School. His research investigates sociocultural discourses around dubbing (i.e., lip-synchronized audiovisual translation) and dubbese related to US-American television translated for broadcast in German-speaking countries. Other research interests include the use of online translation tools in the language classroom, as well as connections between popular media and literary traditions, such as redefined Heimat imagery in contemporary punk and rap lyrics. He has published on Frischian opacity in “Oh Boy” (Monatshefte), collaborative literary translation (mTm Journal), a fairy-tale simulation project in the German classroom (Die Unterrichtspraxis), Vocal Blackface - the practice of hiring of white voice actors to dub Black actors (Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature), and linguistic indifference (German Quarterly, co-authored with The Pipestone Group).
Dr. Ploschnitzki also translates contemporary German, Swiss, and Austrian literature into English: Exchanges and Trans-Lit2 published his translations of German-Turkish author Zafer Şenocak’s work, and his work on Austrian author Jürgen Bauer's "Das Fenster zur Welt" appeared in Translation Review. STILL Magazine dedicated a monograph to his co-translation of British-German author Sharon Dodua Otoo’s “Herr Gröttrup setzt sich hin.” He also translates journalistic articles into German for the digital photography magazine ReVue.
Education —
Selected Publications —
Peer-reviewed Articles
2020. “World Building and Perspective Taking in a Fairy Tale Simulation Project.” The German Quarterly & Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German. Co-authored with Chelsea Timlin, Chantelle Warner, Laurie Clark.
2019. “’Aus heutiger Sicht' gab‘s damals nicht’: On the Frischian Design of Jan-Ole Gerster’s Oh Boy / A Coffee in Berlin”. Monatshefte. Co-authored with David Gramling.
2019. “Facing Zaferisms Together: Working Collaboratively through Translingual Aesthetics in Literary Translation.” mTm Journal.
Translations into English
2020. “Letting the System Completely Absorb Me Would Be So Much Easier: An Interview with the Novelist-Activist SchwarzRund”. In TRANSIT Journal. Transcription, translation.
2020. “Herr Gröttrup setzt sich hin / Herr Gröttrup Takes a Seat / Herr Gröttrup Sits Down.” Sharon Dodua Otoo.” Still Magazine. Collaborative translation.
2018. “The Window To The World (excerpts).” Jürgen Bauer. In Translation Review.
2018. “Screening Economies: Money Matters and the Ethics of Representation. (excerpts)” Daniel Cuonz, Scott Loren, Jörg Metelmann (eds.).
2017. “Am Rand/At the Edge - Verlassene Tankstellen im Südkaukasus / Abondened Gas Stations in the South Caucasus” Introduction. Jan Zychlinski.
2017. “Aesthetics of Protocol.” Sopfia Gräfe.
2017. ”Prydori – Perfection Is Us.” T. H. Moedriach. Collaborative translation.
2016. “The Secret Of The Afternoons.“ Zafer Senocak. Exchanges.
2016. Selected poems. Zafer Şenocak. In Trans-lit 2: Fall Issue.
2015. Selected poems. Zafer Şenocak. In Trans-lit 2: Fall Issue.
Translations into German
2022. “Von der Kunst, Wellen neu zu erfinden“ [“The Art of Remaking Waves”]. Jon Mooallem. In mare – Die Zeitschrift der Meere [mare – Die Journal of The Oceans].
2022. “Synthethische Konfabulationen” [“Synthethic Confabulations”]. Alexey Yurenev. In ReVue - Magazin für Fotografie und Wahrnehmung [ReVue – Magazine for Photography and Perception].
Other Publications
2023. “Found in Translation.” Co-authored with Kyung Lee Gagum. Zeitnah – The German Studies Collaboratory. Blog entry.
2021. “Der Sandmann / The Sandman By E.T.A. Hoffmann – The Original and New English Translation with Critical Introductions.” Delos: A Journal of Translation and World Literature. Review.
2020. “Kaugummiautomat” (Chewing gum vending machine). Photography, creative writing. American Association of Teachers of German Newsletter.
2019. “‘Begrenzte Unmöglichkeiten‘ – Was kann man, wenn man nur will?“ (“Limited Impossibilities – What can you do if you really want it?”). Lesson plan. Foreign Languages & The Literary In The Everyday (FLLITE). Co-authored with Chelsea Timlin.
Selected Presentations —
2023. “They Should’ve Translated That The Right Way! - Fanscaping in German Dubbing,“ Making the Canon, Breaking the Canon: The Task of the Translator, Department of German Studies at Emory University. Invited participation.
2023. “Since When Is Steve Urkel White? – Vocal Blackface In The German Dubbing Landscape.” Panel presentation. Northeast Modern Language Association.
2022. “Bringing Language to Life: Translation in the Undergraduate Classroom.” Roundtable. American Literary Translators Association. ALTA 45: Value(s). Online.
2022. “Since When Is Steve Urkel White? – Vocal Blackface In The German Dubbing Landscape.” Roundtable. Popular Culture Association. 2022 National Conference. Online.
2022. “Living and Studying in the United States.” German High School equivalent advanced placement class. Humboldt Gymnasium, Bad Pyrmont, Germany. Invited participation.
2021. “Translating Sharon Dodua Otoo.” Graduate Seminar. Department of German Studies, University of Arizona. Invited participation.
2021. “Does Translation Transcend Difference?” Roundtable. American Literary Translators Association. ALTA 44: Inflection Points. Online.
2021. “Linguistic Indifference in Online Fan Commentary in German Dubbing,” Seminar paper presentation. German Studies Association. Online.
2020. “The Modern Language Association Virtual Summit for the Future of Doctoral Education,” Department of German Studies, University of Arizona. Invited participation. Online.
2020. “Understanding Literature Through Translation.” Graduate Seminar. Department of German Studies, University of Arizona. Invited participation.
2020. “‘Herr Gröttrup setzt sich hin‘ and Other Stories: A Conversation With Sharon Dodua Otoo,” Deutsches Haus at NYU. Online.
2020. “‘Das Mittelalter bricht da wieder durch‘ – How Turbostaat’s Contemporary Punk Lyrics Comment On Vergangenheitsarbeit.“ German Studies Association. Fourty-Fourth Annual Conference. Online.
2019. “The Window To The World.” Bilingual reading. American Literary Translators Association. ALTA 42: Sight and Sound. Rochester, NY.
2019. “Understanding Literature Through Translation.” Graduate Seminar. Department of German Studies, University of Arizona (invited participation).
2019. “‘Am Ende des Tages bin ich fein damit‘ – The Folk Myths of German Dubbese.“ German Studies Association. Fourty-Third Annual Conference. Portland, OR.
2018. “Herr Gröttrup Sits Down.” Bilingual reading. American Literary Translators Association. Bloomington, IN.
2018. “’Das macht keinen Sinn’ [That Doesn’t Make Any Sense]: How Dubbing Affects Contemporary German Language and Culture.” American Literary Translators Association. Bloomington, IN.
2018. “University Fellows Panel: What You Wish You'd Known About Graduate School.” University of Arizona Graduate College University Fellows Program. Tucson, AZ.
2016. “After the Feast? Redefining the Rural Heimat Novel in Saša Stanišić’s ‘Vor dem Fest’.” 18th Annual Conference of the German and Dutch Graduate Student Association at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, WI / USA. October 21-22.
2016. “Greenhorns and Old-Timers: Crossing Generations in Translation.” American Literary Translators Association. Oakland, CA.
Grants & Other Funded Activity —
2020. AATG Professional Development Grant (ACTFL Virtual Convention), American Association of Teachers of German.
2018. 2018-19 National Center for Interpretation (NCI) Graduate Fellowship, National Center for Interpretation.
2018. University Fellows Professional Development Award, Graduate Center, University of Arizona.
2017-18. Doktorandenförderplatz (doctoral student scholarship). Universität Leipzig, Herder Institut.
2017. “The Window To The World. Jürgen Bauer.” Funded workshop participation. Sixth Biennial Graduate Translation Conference “Performing Translation” at The University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas, TX.
2016. University Fellows Program, University Fellow, University of Arizona.
2015. AATG/ACTFL First-Time Attendee Stipend. American Association of Teachers of German.
2015. Language Mediation, Interpreting, and Translation (LMIT). University of Arizona, co-awarded with translation class.
2015. “The Secret Of The Afternoons. Zafer Senocak.” Funded workshop participation. Fifth Biennial Graduate Translation Conference. University Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI.
2014. DAAD Berkeley Workshop stipend “DaF in den USA: Grundzüge und Perspektiven. (German As A Foreign Language in the USA: Essentials And Perspectives.)” Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service).
2014. Max-Kade-Fellowship. Department of German Studies, University of Arizona.