German novelist, essayist and current Montgomery Fellow Christa Wolf gave a reading of her major works last night in Cook Auditorium.
Wolf, born and raised in the former East Germany, has drawn on her life experiences to inspire her work. Her first novel "Divided Heaven," published in 1963 around the time of the erection of the Berlin Wall, discusses the political and ideological division of Germany after World War II.
Wolf's childhood under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime is the topic of "A Model Childhood," in which she presents issues of anti-Semitism and totalitarian rule.
In 1987 Wolf wrote "Accident," in which she describes how she was affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Wolf's long-time friend, author Grace Paley, assisted in presenting English translations of Wolf's works.
The reading, originally scheduled to be held in 105 Dartmouth Hall, was moved to air-conditioned Cook Auditorium because of the heat.
Wolf's reading was followed by an open reception at the Montgomery House.
