Professor Brian Tucker ’98 accepts congratulations from President White.

Wednesday’s reception honoring the publication of Associate Professor of German Brian Tucker’s book was the culmination of hard work, scholarship, and collegiality.

“This is a really gratifying celebration, not only for Brian, but for this department,” said Professor and Chair of Modern Languages Dan Rogers. “Many of us got to see this book in manuscript form, and we attended colloquia and listened as Brian worked through these ideas. And [Wabash Professor of Modern Languages ] Greg [Redding] and I were the first to see the book—maybe even before Brian—at MLA in Los Angeles.

“We’re very proud of the book, but we’re even more proud of Professor Tucker, who is a tremendous asset to this department and the College.”

Reading Riddles: Rhetorics of Obscurity from Romanticism to Freud, was published earlier this year by the Bucknell University Press. “This book is about how the theory of literature in early German romanticism lays the groundwork for Sigmund Freud’s approach to the psyche,” Tucker writes in the book’s introduction. “More specifically, it shows how the riddle emerges in romanticism as a key figure for a mode of writing that privileges obscurity, difficulty, and interrupted communication, and how this figure in turn provides a model for Freud’s interpretive practices.”

“The research that went into the book also serves as the background for much of my teaching in literature and intellectual history,” Tucker ’98 said. “sometimes offer a seminar on “Freud and the Question of Interpretation,” which introduces Wabash students to many of the issues that I explore in the book.”

President Pat White and Dean of the College Gary Phillips were among the scores of faculty who stopped by to offer their congratulations.

After all his hard work, the publication of the "Reading Riddles" was icing on the cake for Professor Tucker.

“It’s wonderful to have so many people come to the reception,” Tucker said. “Research and writing often feel like solitary, isolating endeavors, so it’s nice to celebrate the fruits of that labor with friends and colleagues. It’s especially flattering when you think about how many of those colleagues are working on their own important books, exhibits, and creative projects.“The book represents the culmination of many years of work and allows me to embark in earnest on the next chapter in my career. With the book finally out, I can turn my attention to new projects.”