Peter Weiss (1916-1982) was a German playwriter, dramatist, visual artist, filmmaker, and novelist. His works include Marat/Sade, The Shadow of the Coachman's Body, The Aesthetics of Resistance, The Conversation of the Three Walkers, Trotsky in Exile, and Bodies and Shadows: Two Short Novels. His documentary drama The Investigation, which recreates the trial of Auschwitz concentration camp guards, was produced on American television in the 1960s. West Germany's most important literary prize, the Georg Buchner Prize, was awarded to Weiss only after his death in 1982. James Rolleston is Professo...