Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home (by Nora Krug)

Book Lab Instructor

Prof. Doris McGonagill

Day/Time

Wednesdays, 3:00-4:00 p.m

Dates

September 3 - September 24, 2025

Location

In-person

Synopsis

Oscillating between graphic memoir and documentary, between family history and contemporary collage, Nora Krug’s Belonging (2018) is a reflection on the creative possibilities of storytelling; not just about her German origins or her American socialization but about cultural heritage in general, how it shapes us, and how we might critically explore what might otherwise be forgotten, overlooked, or taken for granted. It is also about honesty, guilt, and responsibility, individual and collective, and how they (we!) can contribute to more inclusive societies and strengthen democracy. “I used to think that democracy was basically as a state of being,” Krug once said in an interview, “but I realize now that it’s a process that’s that we constantly need to defend.” Such a sincere project of coming to terms with one’s past might sound heavy and gloomy, but Krug’s comic-strip stories, photo albums, and object histories titled “notebook of a homesick émigré” (on German forests, breads, and hot water bottles) are fascinating, often whimsically humorous, and refreshingly self-depreciating. If you are curious to learn more about this award-winning book, go here: https://nora-krug.com/belonging-heimat --or join us in this Book Lab as we delve into Krug's writing as a readers and co-investigators.