Christopher Kramaric (Young) received his B.A. in English, German Studies, and History from Boston College in 2007. Following graduation he moved to Berlin where he served as a DAAD-sponsored associate visiting researcher with the Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies at Humboldt University. Propelled by a growing interest in critical theory, he went on to earn his M.A. in English Literatures and Literary Theory at the University of Freiburg where he worked as Assistant Professor (akademischer Mitarbeiter) of North American Studies prior to arriving at Yale in 2011. He has also worked extensively as a translator (German to English), most notably in conjunction with film director Wim Wenders, set designer Peter Pabst, and Pina Bausch's Wuppertal Dance Theatre. Broadly speaking, his current research focuses on 20th century American material culture and performance in the context of poverty and economic precarity. Additionally he maintains an interest in queer and affect theories, sensory/phenomenological inquiry, and (historical) ethnographic methods. In addition to his studies, Christopher has served as the Graduate Affiliate and Material Objects Curator to the Initiative for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion at Yale and as the Co-Chair of the American Studies Association's Students Committee.