In the 1970s, Wolfgang Iser established himself as one of the leading figures in literary theory with such works as Der implizite Leser (1974, English ed. The Implied Reader) and Der Akt des Lesens (1978, English ed. The Act of Reading). As a result, he was associated with "reception theory," which was very influential in literary studies during the 1970s; it was especially well-received in the United States, along with "reader-response" criticism. This collection contains professional and private correspondence, papers presented at conferences, course reading and lecture notes, video recordings, and unpublished and published writings documenting his work as a teacher and scholar. The papers reflect Iser's main interests as a professor of English literature. The bulk of the material dates from after his appointment in 1967 as a professor at the University of Konstanz, in Germany. Some material documents his teaching at the University of California, Irvine from 1978 to 1998.