George Avery (professor)

George Avery was an American professor of German Studies at Swarthmore College.

Life

After a temporary teaching engagement at St. Joseph's University, Avery was hired by Swarthmore in 1959 and taught there until his retirement. He served as Chair of the Department of Modern Languages from 1975 to 1980. His student, Jonathan Franzen, portrayed Avery's manner of teaching in his memoirs.

Research

Avery specialized in German literature of the twentieth century, be it German, Swiss, or Austrian in origin. He published monographs and scholarly editions on the work of Robert Walser, Herwarth Walden and Karl Kraus. Avery received international recognition for his "pioneering study" on Walser. Andreas Kramer noted Avery's "meticulous notes and his commented index" regarding the correspondence between Karl Kraus and Herwath Walden, concluding that "Avery's edition substantially contributes to our understanding of the wider cultural and social context of the German and Austrian avant-garde before 1914."

Books

Feinde in Scharen: Ein wahres Vergnügen dazusein. Karl Kraus, Herwarth Walden Briefwechsel 1909–1912.Inquiry and Testament. A Study of the Novels and Short Prose of Robert Walser.A Poet Beyond the Pale. Some Notes on the Shorter Works of Robert Walser.