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Virginia Rademacher

  • Professor
  • Division Chair
  • Director, Languages and Global Cultures
Academic Division: Arts & Humanities
781-239-4506
Virginia (Jenny) Rademacher is Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies at Babson College and Chair of the Arts and Humanities Division. She received her PhD in Hispanic Literature from the University of Virginia, M.A. in International Affairs & Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and A.B. from Harvard University. She has published widely on genre, identity, and new narrative formats, including the contemporary surge in biographical fiction. Her book Derivative Lives: Biofiction, Uncertainty, and Speculative Risk in Contemporary Spanish Narrative (Bloomsbury, 2022) creates an interdisciplinary nexus, exploring the rich field of biofiction in relation to concepts of uncertainty, speculation, and risk in a post-truth age. She teaches a variety of interdisciplinary and globally focused courses that often draw from her expertise in Hispanic literature, film, and cultural studies. Prior to coming to Babson, she taught at the University of Virginia, Randolph College, and Georgetown University. She received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015 and the Dean's Award for College-Wide Service in 2022.

Academic Degrees

  • Ph D, University of Virginia
  • MA, University of Virginia
  • MA, Johns Hopkins University
  • BA, Harvard University

Academic Interest / Expertise

Hispanic literature and cultural studies, global film, hardboiled detective fiction and film noir, and new narrative formats such as the contemporary surge in auto/biographical fiction

Awards & Honors

  • 2022 — Dean's Award for Service to the College , Babson College
  • 2015 — BYU Business Language Case Competition - 1st Place Student Team , Brigham Young University
  • 2015 — Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching , All Programs, Babson College

Courses

  • Degree Courses 2024

    • HUM 4606 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE

  • Degree Courses 2023

    • HUM 4606 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Rademacher, V.N. (2023). Non-Political Mann? Faustian Bargains and False Romanticism in Colm Toibin's _The Magician_. Vol: 38, Issue: 1/2023, Page: 83-107. a/b:Auto/Biography Studies (Taylor and Francis) . link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2018). Truth and Circumstantiality in Javier Cercas' Biofictions. American Book Review. Vol: 39 , Issue: 1, Page: 6-27. American Book Review . link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2016). Trump and the Resurgence of American Noir. Persona Studies. Vol: 2, Issue: 2, Page: 90-103. Deakin University School of Communication and Creative Arts. link
  • Rademacher, V.N., Allard, G., Farber, V. (2016). From Economic Crisis to Entrepreneurship: Self-Employment Among Young Women in Spain and Europe (De la crisis economica a la iniciativa emprendedora: El autoempleo entre las mujeres jovenes de Espana. Vol: 149, Issue: October 2016, Page: 152-167. Society of Economists . link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2012). Sex and the City: Detective Petra Delicado and Questions I Couldn’t Help But Wonder. Monographic Review/Revista Monográfica. Vol: 28, Page: 175-191. Texas Tech University, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures. link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2012). The Art of Seduction: Truth or Fanfiction in the World of Lucia Etxebarria's Online "Friends" and the Blogosphere. Hispanic Issues On Line. Vol: 9, Issue: Spring, Page: 97-122. University of Minnesota Department of Spanish and Portugese Studies. link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2012). The Art of Seduction: Truth or Fanfiction in the World of Lucia Etxebarria’s Online “Friends” and the Blogosphere. Hispanic Issues. Vol: 9, Page: 97-122. University of Minnesota Department of Spanish and Portugese Studies. link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2009). Queer Transitions in Contemporary Spanish Culture: From Franco to La Movida. Journal of Contemporary Spanish Cultural Studies. Vol: 10, Issue: 3. Albany: State University of NY Press.
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2007). Postmodern Quest and the Role of Distance in Antonio Muñoz Molina’s El invierno en Lisboa. Ciberletras:Revista de Crítica Literaria y de Cultura.

Books

  • Rademacher, V.N. (2022). Derivative Lives: Biofiction, Uncertainty, and Speculative Risk in Contemporary Spanish Narrative: Derivative Lives: Biofiction, Uncertainty, and Speculative Risk in Contemporary Spanish Narrative . Issue: 1, Page: 248 pp. Bloomsbury . link

Book Chapters

  • Rademacher, V.N. (in press). Courting Biofictions: Anti-Chivalry, and Overpainting in Lauren Groff’s Matrix and Maggie O’Farrell’s the Marriage Portrait: Routledge Companion to Biofiction . Routledge.
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2020). Contrarians at the Gate: Biofiction, the Anti-Biopic and I, Tonya: Biofiction and Writers' Afterlives. Issue: 1st, Page: 142-155. Cambridge Scholars .
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2018). Resisting the "Dictatorship of the Present" in the Biographical Novel : Conversations with Biographical Novelists: Truthful Fictions Across the Globe. Issue: 1st, Page: 49-67. Bloomsbury . link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2018). Speculative Subjectivities and the Biofictional Surge : Conversations with Biographical Novelists: Truthful Fictions Across the Globe . Issue: 1st, Page: 157-168. Bloomsbury . link
  • Levinson, J.R., Rademacher, V.N. (2015). Global Film Across the Curriculum: Narrative Imagination and Pedagogical Innovation: Evolving Entrepreneurial Education: Innovation in the Babson Classroom. Page: 191-216. Emerald Group Publishing.
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2012). Playing for Real: Simulated Games of Identity in Spain’s Gen X Narrative: Generation X Goes Global: Mapping a Youth Culture in Motion. Page: 193-211. Routledge.
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2010). Postmodern Quest and the Role of Distance in Antonion Munoz Monlina's El Invierno es Lisboa: Contemporary Literary Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Today's Novelists, Poets, PLaywrights, Short Story Writers, Scriptwriters, and Other Creative Writers. Vol: 289. Gale.

Book Reviews

  • Rademacher, V.N. (2023). Review of Biofiction: An Introduction : Biofiction: An Introduction . Vol: 38, Issue: 1 (2023), Page: 388-393. a/b: Auto/Biography Studies (Taylor and Francis) . link

Conference Proceedings

  • Rademacher, V.N., Allard, G. (2016). From Economic Crisis to Entrepreneurship: Self-Employment among Spain's Young Women : Diana International Conference 2016. Diana Conference . link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2013). Lost in the Supermarket: Biographical Uncertainty and Real Speculation in Contemporary Spanish Narrative: Revista de ALCES XXI. Vol: 1, Issue: 1. ALCES XXI. link

Other

  • Rademacher, V.N. (2023). Reading the Contemporary Author: Narrative, Authority, Fictionality : Reading the Contemporary Author: Narrative, Authority, Fictionality. University of Nebraska Press .
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2022). Biofiction's Antidotes to Post-Truth Contagions : Bloomsbury Literary Studies . Bloomsbury . link
  • Rademacher, V.N. (2010). Transatlatic Crossings: Post-Dictatorship Transitions and Cultural Transformations in Spain, Argentina, Chile: Selected Proceedings. INternational Conference on Development & Assessment of Intercultural Competence. University of Arizona.

Presentations

  • The Ethics of Cruelty in the Autofictions of Jose Ovejero and Miguel Angel Oeste (Seminar on Religion in Modern Spanish Metafiction and Autofiction Rademacher, V. Modern Language Association Annual Conference , Philadelphia, PA (2024)
  • Killing the Father: The Ethics of Cruelty in Family Autofictions Rademacher, V. Narrative Matters , Finland (2023)
  • Toward a Typology of Biofictional Realisms Rademacher, V. American Comparative Literature Association , Chicago (2023)
  • Advice for Untenured but Tenure Track Faculty on Tenure and Promotion at Babson College Nersessian, D. Getchell, K. Pinard, M. Jones, K. Rademacher, V. Babson College Research Day, Wellesley, MA (2023)
  • Biofiction's Antidotes to Post-Truth Contagions Rademacher, V. Modern Language Association Annual Conference, San Francisco (2023)
  • Derivative Lives: 21st Century Spanish Biofictions in Speculative Times Rademacher, V. Auto/Bio/Fictions , London, UK (2022)
  • Entertaining the What-Ifs: Bioficton's Uses of Biography Rademacher, V. International Auto/Biographical Association Annual Conference , Turku, Finland (2022)
  • More than Half-True: Biofictional Hybrids in Spain and Beyond Rademacher, V. Modern Language Association Annual Conference , Washington DC (2022)
  • Are We All Lost in the Supermarket? Biofiction, Uncertainty and Speculative Risk in a Post-Truth World Rademacher, V. Guest Lecturer , University of Massachusetts, Lowell (2021)
  • Biofiction's Antidotes to Post-Truth Contagions Rademacher, V. Biofiction as World Literature International Conference , Leuven, Belgium (2021)
  • African-American Biofictions Rademacher, V. Modern Language Association Annual Conference , Toronto, Canada (held virtually) (2021)
  • Lost in the Supermarket: Biographical Uncertainty in Contemporary Spanish Narrative Rademacher, V. Babson Research Day , Babson College (2020)
  • Lost in the Supermarket: Biographical Uncertainty in Contemporary Spanish Fiction Rademacher, V. BFRF Research Chat, Babson College (2019)
  • Resisting the "Dictatorship of the Present": Fascism's Legacy and the Spanish Biographical Novel Rademacher, V. MLA International Symposium, Lisbon, Portugal (2019)
  • Pursuing the Elusive Persona in Pedro Larrain's Deceptive Neruda Rademacher, V. Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, Shanghai, China (2018)
  • From Media Darling to Literary Pariah: How Spain's Lucia Etxebarria Lost Her Luster Rademacher, V. 4th Annual Celebrity Studies Conference: Desecrating Celebrity, University of Rome, Sapienza, Italy (2018)
  • Fugitive Biofictions; Paradox and Poetry in Pedro Larrain's Deceptive Neruda Rademacher, V. Screen Studies Conference, Glasgow, Scotland (2018)
  • Truth and Circumstantiality in Javier Cercas' Biofictions Rademacher, V. Babson Faculty Research Day , Babson Park, MA (2018)
  • Experience the Classroom: Dictators and Demagogues Rademacher, V. Launch Babson, Babson Park, MA (2018)
  • Talk Back with Cast and Audience: Death and the Maiden Rademacher, V. Post-Performance "Talk Back" with Cast and Audience, Sorenson Theatre, Babson Park MA (2018)
  • From Push to Passe: European Economic Recovery and Austerity-Based Self-Employment among Young Women Rademacher, V. Babson Faculty Research Day , Babson Park, MA (2018)
  • Truth and Circumstantiality in Javier Cercas' Biofictions Rademacher, V. Modern Language Association Annual Conference , New York City (2018)
  • Modernist Subjectivities and their Biofictional Derivatives Rademacher, V. American Comparative Literature Association , Utrecht, Netherlands (2017)
  • Pedro Almodovar's Melodramatic Masculinities Rademacher, V. Crossroads in Cultural Studies , Sydney, Australia (2016)
  • From Modernism to Market in Rosa Montero's Biofictions Rademacher, V. Culture Industries: Modernist Studies Association , Pasadena, California (2016)
  • From Economic Crisis to Entrepreneurship: Self-Employment Among Spain's Young Women Rademacher, V. Allard, G. Diana International Research Conference , Bodo, Norway (2016)
  • Why the Postman Should Always Ring Twice - Even at a Business School Rademacher, V. American Comparative Literature Association Annual Conference , Harvard University, Cambridge MA (2016)
  • Contemporary Feminisms and the New Chic(a): Have We Really Come a Long Way Baby? Rademacher, V. Association of 21st Century Spanish Cinema and Literature (ALCES XXI), Soria, Spain (2015)
  • Rademacher, V. Are We Game? Video Games Beyond Entertainment, Needham, MA (2014)
  • Sex and the City: Detective Petra Delicado and Questions I Couldn't Help But Wonder Rademacher, V. 111th Annual Conference of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association, San Diego, CA (2013)
  • Sex and the City: Detective Petra Delicado and Questions I Couldn't Help But Wonder Rademacher, V. Babson Faculty Research Fund (BFRF) Research Chat, Wellesley, MA (2013)
  • Panel on Hispanic crime fiction with writer Alicia Giménez-Bartlett Rademacher, V. International Conference on Hispanic Crime Fiction (CILDE), Lubbock, TX (2013)
  • Lost in the Supermarket: Biographical Uncertainty and Real Speculation in Contemporary Spanish Narrative Rademacher, V. Association of Contemporary Spanish Literature of the 21st Century, Madrid, Spain (2013)
  • The Chick Factor: Why Spain's Gen X isn't all XY Rademacher, V. Popular Culture Association of Canada 2012 Conference, Niagara Falls, Canada (2012)
  • The Chick Factor: Why Spain’s Gen X Isn’t All XY Rademacher, V. Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum, Wellesley, MA (2012)
  • Playing for Real: Simulated Games of Identity in Contemporary Spanish Narrative Rademacher, V. BFRF Research Chat, Babson College (2011)
  • The Art of Seduction: Truth or Fanfiction in the World of Online "Friends" and the Blogosphere Rademacher, V. Hybrid Storyspaces Conference: Redefining the Critical Enterprise in 21st Century Hispanic Literature, Cornell University (2010)
  • Transatlantic Crossings: Post-Dictatorship Transitions and Cultural Transformations in Spain, Argentina, Chile Rademacher, V. International Conference on Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence, University of Arizona (2010)
  • Nirvana-lite: Simulated Games of Identity in Lucia Etxebarria's Courtney and I and A Story Like Any Other Rademacher, V. 2009 Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association, Boston (2009)
  • Chicks As ‘Dicks’ (Detectives) in Two Works by Luisa Valenzuela: Novela negra con argentinos and “La palabra asesino Rademacher, V. Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, (2005)
  • Shifting conceptions of Biography in Contemporary Spanish Narrative Rademacher, V. , (2004)
  • Postmodern Quest and the Role of Distance in Antonio Muñoz Molina’s El invierno en Lisboa Rademacher, V. Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, University of Kentucky (2004)
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Professional Services

  • Board Member Phillips Academy Alumni Council (2017 - Present)
  • Board Member Jeff's Place (2017 - 2019)

Department & College Wide Services

  • Arts and Humanities Division (Fall 2023 - Present)
  • Director, Languages and Global Cultures (Fall 2012 - Present)
  • Board of Trustees - Academic Affairs Committee (Fall 2016 - Spring 2020)
  • Posse Program - Mentor ("Chair" is cited below, but my role is Mentor) (Spring 2016 - Spring 2020)