Читать книгу The Production of Lateness - Rahel Rivera Godoy-Benesch - Страница 5

Writing a book-length literary study means spending long hours in solitude. However, as I think about all the friends, colleagues, and acquaintances that were, in one way or another, part of this research project, I must say it turned out to be not so lonely after all. My deep gratitude is due to all those who kept me company.

In the first place, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Martin Heusser, whose unfailing encouragement and support have accompanied me throughout my years of study and research, and with whom I could always share my thoughts and ideas. Further thanks go to Prof. Dr. Harm-Peer Zimmermann, who provided valuable input in the final stages of the project. I owe much gratitude to all those colleagues and friends who critically commented on parts of this study: Martin Mühlheim, Nicole Frey Büchel, Johannes Riquet, and Simone Heller-Andrist. Shane Walshe agreed to proofread the text on very short notice and did a marvellous job; many thanks go to him, as well. There are others: Dieter Sulzer and the staff of the Pro Senectute Library, who provided guidance in the field of ageing studies; Michelle Dreiding, with whom I shared an office as well as the joys and sorrows of being an assistant and a PhD student, and who has become a dear friend; Madeleine Eberhard, whose enriching conversation, moral support, and steadfast encouragement to think ‘outside the box’ I would not want to have missed; and, finally, my students, who shared my enthusiasm for old age in literature.

I would further like to thank the Swiss National Science Foundation for financing the publication of this book. Kathrin Heyng from Narr Francke Attempto was very helpful during the publication process, for which I am deeply grateful as well. Not last, I would like to express my appreciation to Peter Lang Copyright AG for granting permission to reuse a few passages which I had formerly published in an article.

Life is full of coincidences, and one of them was meeting Linda and Michael Hutcheon during a colloquium in Zurich. They spontaneously invited me to participate in a late-life creativity workshop with Gordon McMullan, David Amigoni, Sam Smiles, Amir Cohen-Shalev, and many other ageing-studies scholars, as well as ageing artists themselves. A further key event was a captivating lecture on Beethoven’s late style by Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen, which I only became aware of thanks to one of my students. Very probably, none of these scholars remembers me but they unknowingly contributed to the way I have come to think about lateness.

Finally, there is my family: my children Daniel, Anna, Isabel, and Celia, who tolerated my long absences with patient understanding. My parents helped out whenever they were needed, cooking countless meals and taking the children for day trips and holidays. I feel blessed to have them in my life.