In Conversation with the Rosenbach: Ulrich Baer

Ulrich Baer will present some of poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s previously uncollected and untranslated letters of condolence. These 23 letters, culled from Rilke’s correspondence of over 15,000 letters, teach readers how to respond to loss and grief. In deeply moving and personal letters to a range of recipients, Rilke shows how to allow pain to become a force and occasion for the difficult but essential transformation of mourning into life.

This program is sponsored by Helen Drutt English.

About the speaker

Author and translator Ulrich Baer is a Professor of Comparative and German Literature and Vice Provost at New York University. He is the author of numerous books on poetry, photography, and memory, a novel and a collection of short stories, the editor of Rainer Maria Rilke: Letters on Life (Random House), and the forthcoming Rainer Maria Rilke’s The Dark Interval: Letters on Grief, Loss, and Transformation. He has been awarded Guggenheim, Humboldt, and Getty fellowships.

Join the Conversation

A series of informal, intimate talks given by literary and cultural luminaries, In Conversation with the Rosenbach delves into fascinating histories, intellectual curiosities, and inspiring ideas. Each program offers the audience a chance to join the conversation after the talk and share their own thoughts and questions. In Conversation with the Rosenbach is supported by grants from the Walter J. Miller Trust and the Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Foundation. Seating is limited; advance registration is strongly recommended.

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One way to support great programs at the Rosenbach is to become a program sponsor. Sponsorships offset the costs of bringing literary and cultural luminaries to the Rosenbach. To learn more about program sponsorship, view our sponsorship levels or contact [email protected].