He received an M.A. in Translation Studies (1988) and a Ph.D. in American Studies (1994) from the University of Mainz in Germersheim. He has been teaching courses and seminars in American literature, language, and culture, as well as translation classes and seminars in translation theory since 1989. His research interests include African American literature, early American culture, and American Naturalism. He is also a translator and an editor of literary texts and books on chess theory.