jana
marlene
mader
I am a writer, professor, translator, and artist, with a deep connection to both the creative and academic fields. As a professor in the Environmental Humanities at Bard College, my research and teaching focus on the interrelationship between nature and the arts, particularly in the Hudson River Valley and New York. I have published four books, working on both fiction and nonfiction projects. In my writing, too, I explore how the arts shape our understanding of the natural world — and how nature, in turn, influences art. In addition to writing and teaching, I occasionally paint, drawing inspiration from the landscapes and histories that surround me. I live in Upstate New York and Munich.
My first novel was published in 2018 and my latest book on the literary Hudson River and Rhine came out in 2023. Walk Her Way New York City, an illustrated walking guide will be published by Hardie Grant in February 2025.
Before coming to Bard, I taught at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and at The Juilliard School. I received my doctorate from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. My research and teaching focus on the relationship between nature and the arts.
As a translator, I specialize in texts from English into German. Since 2012, I have translated both shorter texts and entire books in the fields of politics, history, the environment, art and literature.
From time to time I paint. My works have been exhibited in galleries in New York and featured in magazines in the U.S. and Germany. I support organizations and good causes with my art; fundraisers have included Mission Blue and support for Ukraine.
As professor of environmental studies, my work focuses on the connections between spaces, health, and history. For Walk Her Way, we curated walks through New York City, each of them along women's history. The book will be published in March 2025.
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portrait photo: AnneRaft Photography