* Beginning at the KHM: What are the things you are most looking forward to and/or are excited about?

More text. I teach literature and writing, but I think you can go only get so far in trying to “improve” your actual writing since the knowledge regarding the actual production of literature tends to be tacit and instinctive. However, this does not apply—at least as far as I’m concerned—to reading. Here, you can and will accumulate „knowledge” about different ways to approach a text, to see its underlying patterns that trigger certain emotional reactions in you, in the reader, which you can then apply to re-writing your own stuff. What I’m trying to say is: By far the most rewarding aspect of this job so far has been discussing and reading texts with our students.

* What is your artistic/scientific background? What are your main starting points in being an artist and/or scientist?

I originally studied what I now teach at KHM (creative writing and literature) before then switching to sociology, in which I ended up doing my PhD. In that sense I have a somewhat traditional scientific background in humanities. 
 
In terms of my artistic background: I don’t know. I guess I’m into speculative, weird fiction that’s not quite surreal or magical but almost there.

* Which three words would you use to describe yourself or your topics?

Sociological pseudo fiction

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The posts titled “welcome” present and welcome new staff members of exMedia.

More about Juan Guse.
Image by Juan Guse and Midjourney.