Andrea Larson

Inspired by her interest in language experimentation in German poetry from the turn of the twentieth century to today, Andrea Larson’s research sits at the nexus of media theory and gender in works ranging from German Modernism to contemporary poetry. Her latest project titled “Defective Media: The Function of the Feminine in German Lyric Poetry after 1900” examines the changing function of the medium meant to connect word and meaning in poetic writing, thinks about the very conditions of this connection, and whether it is uniquely tied to human modes of understanding.

At the moment, Andrea is working on an article derived from her dissertation to show that language can be grounded in meaning even though it operates under the conditions of “ungroundedness.” This discovery thus connects her research to recent concerns raised by the use of contemporary probability-based Large Language Models, which also lack “ground” in the traditional sense, while nevertheless being able to relay meaning. If meaning no longer requires a brain or such a “ground,” how then, can we differentiate between human and machine? 

This question is of primary interest to Andrea going forward: while future research will continue to query the nexus of media theory, AI technology and language, she aims to engage in a truly interdisciplinary project to think about how language mediates concepts typically thought to be non-discursive, and in doing so, honing in on the very question of how far the machine may mimic human experience. Leveraging poetic form with affect theory, sociolinguistics and AI, for instance, Andrea’s next project will explore how emotions or moods might be generated in non-lyrical texts via poetic techniques. Preliminary research on Joseph Roth’s Radetzkymarsch (1932), for example, suggests that language structures inform readers’ perception of a melancholic mood. While situated within the disciplines of poetry, media studies and gender studies, Andrea’s research thus moves beyond her field, touching on technology studies, language philosophy, psychoanalysis, and aesthetics, and invites cross-disciplinary collaboration to seek answers to pressing ontological questions of contemporary relevance.   

Andrea brings the same passion to her teaching that she has for her research. Andrea’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, awarded by the Duke Graduate School, two departmental teaching awards from UNC and Duke, and the Certificate for College Teaching all testify to the depth of Andrea’s commitment to quality instruction within an inclusive and creative learning environment. Originally from Bavaria in Germany and certified as official language examiner by the Goethe Institute, Andrea frequently teaches advanced German language seminars on contemporary cultural and social topics. Aside from sharing her enthusiasm for her native language and culture, she is also strongly invested in supporting students as they seek study, research and career opportunities in Germany. 

Andrea is also the Academic Director for Duke in Berlin, working closely with the Global Education Office and the team in Berlin to manage the academic side of Duke’s study abroad program in Germany.