How to Keep the Co(ol) in Collaboration

Abstract:The five sections of this essay cover the phases of collaboration by reflecting on lessons from thirty years of collaborative projects spanning German, gender, and media studies. It addresses the importance of acknowledging differences among backgrounds, disciplines, and institutions, stresses the major role transparency has to play in a working relationship, and explores how collaboration can help you maintain a sense of creative freedom while dealing with real-world constraints. It concludes by discussing the different strengths junior and senior faculty can bring to the table and the rewards collaboration has in store for them, even if the process proves challenging.