Uncategorized

David Letterman

Professor Emeritus of Late Night Comedy

Office: 414 Kent Hall
Office Hours: F 3:00-5:00 or by appointment
Phone: (212) 854-1525
Email: pja1@columbia.edu

Educational Background

BA: Michigan University (’71)
MA: Chicago University (’72)
PhD: Yale University (’79)

Classes Taught

AHUM UN1400 Colloquium on Major Texts: East Asia
EAAS UN3901 Senior Thesis
JPNS GR8020 Graduate Seminar in Modern Japanese Literature

Research Interests

Japanese fiction, film, and cultural criticism
Asian Humanities

Paul Anderer joined the Columbia faculty in 1980. From 1989 until 1997, he was the chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. He has also served the University as Vice Provost for International Relations, as Associate Vice-President for Academic Planning and Global Initiatives in the Arts and Sciences, and as Acting Dean of the Graduate School. He has written numerous articles exploring the culture of the city (Tokyo) and Japanese modernity. His work has been awarded support from the NEH, the SSRC, and the Fulbright Commission. He is currently writing a book on the black and white films of Kurosawa Akira, in their relationship to the Japanese post-war and to the era of silent film-making.

Selected Publications

Kurosawa’s Rashomon: A Vanished City, a Lost Brother, and the Voice Inside His Iconic Films (Pegasus, 2016)

Literature of the Lost Home: Kobayashi Hideo-Literary Criticism, 1924-1939 (Stanford, 1995)

Other Worlds: Arishima Takeo and the Bounds of Modern Japanese Fiction (Columbia, 1984)

Now accepting graduate applications for 2019-2020!

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures is now accepting applications for our 2019 graduate programs. The deadline for the EALAC Ph.D. program is November 30, 2018. The priority deadline for application to the EALAC M.A. Program is November 30, 2018. Space permitting, applications will be accepted for the M.A. program on a rolling basis until May 31, 2019.

All applications to EALAC graduate programs, both M.A. and Ph.D., are submitted through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences online application system.

For information about the admissions process, please see the admissions page of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
For any questions about the application process, please first see the GSAS Admissions FAQ.
For specific information pertaining to international students, please see the GSAS international applicants page.
For more information on our graduate programs, please see our prospective students page.

New Vietnamese Language Program

We are proud to announce the opening of a new program of Vietnamese language study beginning in the fall of 2018. Our new instructor, Nguyễn Phương Chung, comes to Columbia with extensive experience teaching Vietnamese at the college and graduate levels in Vietnam, developing pedagogy tailored to the specific demands of the Vietnamese language, and training diplomats at the US Embassy to Vietnam in Hanoi according to State Department standards. Classes utilize a functional approach with heavy emphasis on learner participation and practical communication. Our program combines the basic six-tiered plan for language mastery currently used by the University of Social Sciences & Humanities in Vietnam with the standards and techniques developed by the State Department for diplomatic language training. Students are encouraged to apply and enhance their practical communicatory skills through exploration of Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage, as well as the diversity and vibrancy of contemporary Vietnamese society.

We currently offer an introductory level of Vietnamese, UN1101 (no experience necessary) and UN1102, as well as a second-year + heritage level course UN1201 and UN1202 (placement exam required) throughout the year, with additional possibilities on a case-by-case basis, for those interested in advanced study during the 2018-2019 academic year. Regular third- and fourth-year courses will also be offered as the program grows. The Vietnamese language program is also proud to serve the needs of Columbia’s newly-formed graduate program in Vietnamese studies. With the recent appointments of Liên-Hằng Nguyễn (History) and John Phan (EALAC), Columbia is now one of the only institutions to offer a unified graduate program on Vietnamese history, culture, and literary criticism, from premodern to contemporary times. The Vietnamese language program is working closely with Professors Nguyễn and Phan to establish a premier center for Vietnamese language training here at Columbia. Our long-term goal is to develop a program that will serve the needs of all levels of interest, from the beginner, to the heritage learner, to advance graduate students working on primary materials.

For more information on the Vietnamese language program, please contact Nguyễn Phương Chung. For more information on Vietnamese studies at Columbia University, please contact Professor John Phan.