About Jürgen

I’m a writer, critic, translator, editor, photographer, and web professional. I was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and after years in New Orleans, Mississippi, and the Dominican Republic, I now live in New York City with my wife Marcy Dermansky, author of Twins and Bad Marie, and my daughter Nina.

Film Criticism

I review movies and blog about world and independent film for About.com. My writing on film has also appeared in Flavorpill, UGO, New York Newsday, and the Wiesbadener Kurier. I am a member of New York Film Critics Online, and you can search a list of recent reviews at RottenTomatoes.

Fiction

I hold a Ph.D. in English from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Writers, where I studied with Frederick and Steven Barthelme and Mary Robison. I’m an associate editor for fiction at Mississippi Review Web, and I’ve taught English and Creative Writing at USM and Manhattan’s Laboratory Institute of Merchandising.

In 1996, I founded Der Brennende Busch, one of the first German-language literary web magazines. My short fiction has appeared in Berkeley Fiction Review, La Petite Zine, Eclectica, Vestal Review, Chiron Review, Blue Moon Review, among others. I am currently working on a novel.

Web

I’ve designed, optimized, and launched over a dozen sites. My fan forum idrinkyourmilkshake.com was featured in USA Today, Variety, and Entertainment Weekly.

Fictionaut

In 2008, Carson Baker and I launched the literary startup Fictionaut, a bustling community of talented writers, editors, bloggers, and readers that doubles as self-selecting magazine. Fictionaut was featured in VenusZine and I was interviewed about the site in SmokeLong Quarterly. I also edit the Fictionaut blog.

Translation

My native language is German, and I have worked as translator, proof reader, voice over artist, and multilingagual content manager both to and from English. I have created subtitles for  the director’s commentary of Benten’s DVD release of Der Freie Wille and May Spils’ classic 1968 comedy Zur Sache Schätzchen.

Photography and Film

My photography has been featured in New York: A Photographic Album, the upcoming The Museum of Modern Art in This Century, and on a number of sites, including IFC, Publishers Weekly, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.  Selected photo sets include my coverage of the New York Film Festival, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, New York Comic Con, and photos from the Museum of Modern Art. I also have a few short movies on YouTube and Vimeo.

Jürgen 2.0

You’re welcome to follow my blogs at Muckworld, About.com, Tumblr, and Fictionaut and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Last.Fm, LinkedIn, and Metafilter. Please use the contact form if you’d like to send me a message.